Thunder Storm
by Colorful and Free
Summary: One second, he was Luigi. The next, he was Mr. L. As time goes on, he questions himself. Who is he? Why can't he remember anything? Why does he love a hero he should hate? Mr. L treads a dangerous path as he gets closer to the truth. Will he remember himself before it's too late? Lmentio. Prequel to SBG, but can be read alone. Rated T for language and a (brief) lemon.
1. Green Thunder

_Summary: How does a sweet, innocent man become someone mean and dangerous? How does Luigi become Mr. L? One-shot. Rated K for nothing a kid can't handle._

 _This is a one-shot that I wrote for art class. (We have Journal assignments every week. Apparently, they're supposed to be more visually artistic, but I didn't know that at the time so there.) This is short and to the point because my art teacher only has so much time to look over every entry, check it, then move on to the next student. I also made some minor edits so it flows better. I could continue this, but only if you guys love it enough._

 _Disclaimer: Luigi, Mr. L, and characters here belong to Nintendo. The plot belongs to me! :)_

* * *

Luigi was stuck at Castle Bleck with a girl he didn't know, two traitorous goombas, and more behind them. He was almost out; he knew it. He just need to get past these enemies and find the exit...

"Ok guys, new agenda? Hold this fool down so I can get his priorities on track," The girl told them.

"YES, MA'AM!" They cried. Then at least five enemies surrounded him and hoisted him up.

Luigi cried out. "Wh-Whoa! Hey! No! Mario, where are you!? HELP!"

The girl walked up to them and lowered her glasses. Electricity coursed through Luigi's body. He cried out. "That hurts! Stop!"

"Do you swear your loyalty to the count?"

"N-No! Stop, please! I'm begging-!"

"Oh great. Another fighter. No matter. Everyone gives in eventually," She muttered. The blue girl did it again.

Luigi cried out in pain. Images danced in his mind. Going on adventures with Mario. Eating cake with Peach at her castle. Fighting Bowser. His memories faded until all he could see was lightning and all he could hear was thunder exploding in his head. Green thunder...

The man in green froze. He was silent for a few seconds. And then, "Hail...Bleck."

The girl in front of him nodded. "Very good. Put him down." The creatures around him did as she asked. He stumbled a bit. "Now, what is your name?"

He spoke in a slurred voice. "L...Thunder..."

"Ha! Pipsqueak over here doesn't even know his own name!" One of the goombas cried. The others laughed.

The girl shushed them. "You'll walk it off. Welcome to the team, Mr. L. My name is Nastasia. If you have any questions, all you have to do is ask."

He had plenty of questions, but he was too tired to sort through his mind and ask any of them.

She scanned his outfit and frowned. "Hmm...You'll need a change of wardrobe. And a nap. Sound good?"

He nodded slowly. "Y-Yeah. Sounds good..."

Nastasia told the others to return to their devices and left the hall with Mr. L. "Do you have any memory from before you were here?" He shook his head. "Hmm."

The pair were quiet after that. Soon, Nastasia stopped at one door. "You can stay with Mimi until we find a room for you." Then, she opened the door and poked her head in. "Hey, Mimi? New recruit!"

A small green girl with pigtails was jumping on her bed. She hopped off and walked to them. She wore a huge smile. "Hey, there! I'm Mimi! What's your-?"

Mr. L walked past her and crashed on the bed. He soon fell into a deep sleep.

Mimi looked at Nastasia, confused. She shrugged. "What can I say? Brainwashing burns out the very strongest the most."

* * *

A month or so later, Mr. L was working in the garage on a giant machine. It was shaped like a man's head. His head, to be precise. He was almost finished with him. His pride and joy.

"How's it going, L?" A voice asked from below.

Mr. L glanced down. Nastasia was staring up at him. She wore her glasses, business shirt and skirt, and magenta hair in a neat bun. He smiled. "Hey, girlie. It's going fine. Brobot is coming along nicely!"

He jumped down from his ladder. His previous green shirt and blue overalls were gone. Now, he wore a black jumpsuit with golden buttons on his chest. He also wore a red belt, green bandanna around his neck, and most importantly, a dark mask over his eyes. Mr. L even made himself a new dark green cap with a reverse L on the front. The man in green was glad he took Nastasia's advice to change clothes. He looked and felt a lot better. "Need something, dear?"

Nastasia shook her head. "No, just checking up on you. You seem to be handling yourself alright though."

She turned and walked away. Mr. L was about to let her leave when he remembered something. "Wait, Nastasia!" The assistant turned around. He looked down. "I was, um, wondering if I could face the hero this time."

She raised an eyebrow. "I don't know if you're ready for that yet. You're still new."

"But everyone else has faced him! Why not me? I'll even bring Brobot! Please?"

Nastasia thought for a moment. "I'll ask the count. In the meantime, work on your fighting moves. Finish your robot. We'll see, 'kay?"

Mr. L smiled. "Okay! I won't let you down! Hail bleck!"

The woman left the room. He grinned even more and kept working with a special kind of zeal. "You think you're so tough, hero? Well, you're not. The Dark Prognosticus will ring true and you'll fall. The green thunder strikes like lightning!"

Mr. L meant those words. He believed them with all his heart. So, why did they feel wrong to say out loud or even think? And why did a tiny voice inside his head whisper, "Mario?"

* * *

 _Fanfics written because of school: 2 (The first being A Patch of Blue because of a school club)_

 _Headcanon: Mr. L's catchphrase, "The green thunder strikes like lightning!" and his own nickname, "Green Thunder" comes from when Nastasia hypnotized him. That's what he saw once his memories were wiped._

 _Headcanon: During his stay at Castle Bleck, Mr. L would have a feeling that something is not right, but wouldn't know what. He would usually just brush it off. Sometimes, he would wonder about someone named "Mario."_

 _So, if I were to continue this, it would probably be Mr. L's side of events from the game and some of his dreams of being Luigi. But only if enough people want it. If not, that's fine too. I'll keep this a one-shot._

 _I hope you liked this._

 _-Colorful and Free_


	2. The Whoa Zone

_...Wow. So much love for just a simple drabble. Thanks for your kind words, everybody! There wouldn't be a part 2 without them! This chapter will be a lot longer and have an action sequence too!_

* * *

 _"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear Mario and..." Static. "Happy birthday, to you!"_

 _He stood across from a man in red. This man had clear blue eyes and a neat mustache. He wore a red shirt with long sleeves and blue overalls. He also wore a red cap with an M on the front._

 _The man grinned at him._ _A vanilla cake was in between them with the numbers 2 and 4 on it. The number 2 was red while the number 4 was green. There was a circle of colorful candles around the numbers._ _They blew out the candles together._

 _People cheered around them. It was mostly a bunch of toads; however, one person stood out from the rest. It was a pretty blonde girl with sapphire eyes. She wore a pink dress with a blue gem on her chest. She also wore long white gloves that reached her elbows. The girl clapped with the others._

 _The man in red smiled at them. He must've been Mario. "Thanks, everybody! And extra thanks for throwing this party for us, Peach!"_

 _The girl, Peach, smiled back. "No problem! You deserve a million parties for all you do for me!"_

 _"What did you guys wish for?" A toad asked._

 _Mario shook his head. "I can't tell you! Then it won't come true!"_

 _The toads lowered their heads. "Aww..."_

 _Then the man in green spoke up. "I have no problem sharing my wish."_

 _Everyone turned to him. Even Peach was curious. "Well, then, what did you wish for...?" More static._

 _He felt himself smile. "I wished that every birthday can be like this one!"_

 _Mario frowned. "You fool! No, it won't come true because you told everybody!"_

 _He laughed. "Sure it will! I'm gonna remember this wish for a long time."_

 _Mario huffed. "Yeah, right. You'll forget it in a few days."_

 _He felt himself frown. "I will not!"_

 _Peach stepped in between them. "Okay, boys. Calm down. Let's cut the cake!"_

 _All the toads cheered. Mario, having forgotten their little argument, wrapped his arm around the man in green. "Happy birthday..." Another round of static._

 _"Happy birthday to you too, Mario. I love you."_

* * *

Mr. L opened his eyes. He found himself laying in his bedroom. The walls were painted forest green and had several mechanical posters taped onto them. To his right, there was a writing desk, a bookshelf, and window with green drapes right above the desk. There was also a full-body mirror in the corner. He blinked a few times. Then he sat up and rubbed his head. "That was a weird dream..."

Suddenly, he heard knocking at the door. "Who is it?"

"It's Nastasia. Can I come in? I have some good news for you."

Mr. L glanced down at himself. He preferred to go to bed shirtless and with boxers on. "Hold on." He went to his closet and slipped on a black tank top. Then he said, "Okay. Come in."

Nastasia opened the door. She poked her head in. "The Count mentioned you in our last meeting."

Mr. L had asked if he could go on his first real mission two weeks ago. Nastasia replied with, 'He'll think about it.' So, Mr. L waited. And waited. And waited some more. Now he was finally getting a real answer. "Oh really? What did he say about me?"

"He said it's time that we send you out," She replied. "You'll be leaving today. Bring your machine with you. Brobot, was it?"

Even though he was ready to fall back asleep a few seconds ago, Mr. L was now wide awake. He ran across the room and hugged Nastasia. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Nastasia pushed him away gently. "Don't thank me. Thank the count. Get dressed. We're having eggs and bacon for breakfast."

The Green Thunder nodded eagerly. He wasn't sure why, but he loved both American and Italian food. "Okay."

Nastasia left and closed the door behind her. Mr. L ran to his closet and pulled out his jumpsuit. He put it on quickly along with his accessories. He was so excited that he almost forgot to put on his mask. For some reason, the count insisted that he wear it. He placed it over his eyes and then ran out of the room, more energetic than ever.

After breakfast, Count Bleck told Mr. L to meet him in the common room. This was where the minions of Count Bleck would meet and discuss plans on how to deal with the hero. As of now, the man in green hadn't been to a meeting. Yet. He stood on the podium right next to the count, where Nastasia would normally stand.

"The Dark Prognosticus says that the Heroes of Light will be in space. From there, they will find themselves in a maze of death. Count Bleck had Nastasia do some research for him, and she believes that this is referring to the Whoa Zone."

Mr. L blinked a few times. "The Whoa Zone? A maze of death? With all due respect, Count, those sound like two wildly different things."

The Count shook his head. "Maybe, but some refer to the Whoa Zone as the Space Graveyard. Rumors say that those who go in never come back out. Your mission is to go in there and put a stop to the heroes. If you choose to accept, Count Bleck will send you on your way. If not, you'll be demoted and someone else will take this mission."

The Green Thunder shook his head. "No, I want this mission! No matter how dangerous it sounds! Don't worry. You can _count_ on me. Heh heh."

The Count sighed. "Just get ready."

Mr. L lowered his head, ashamed for his terrible pun. "Yes, sir."

That afternoon, Mr. L went into the garage. He grabbed the remote control laying on the table and turned Brobot on. His yellow eyes lit up. He smiled and ran over to him. "Come on, bro. We're going on a mission. A real mission!"

He walked to the back of the machine and jumped up. He opened the back door and went inside. Then he sat on his chair and gripped the levers. He looked straight ahead, out into the open garage.

He took a deep breath. "Let's go," He whispered. Then he pushed the levers forward. They blasted off and shot up into the sky. Further and further from the ground.

Count Bleck and Nastasia stood outside, looking up.

"Do you think that he'll be successful?" Nastasia asked.

The Count shook his head. "The Dark Prognosticus says we'll have to keep pushing. But he needs practice, just like everyone else. Let's get back inside."

She nodded. The two flipped back inside the castle.

Meanwhile, Mr. L noticed that the sky was changing color. Black became a pretty dark blue. Stars were twinkling in the middle of the day. When he looked down, his eyes widened. A giant blue ball was below them with patches of green. The Earth.

The Green Thunder sat back in his chair. After a few seconds, he whispered, "I did it." He grew more excited. "I ACTUALLY DID IT! WE'RE IN SPACE! WOOO! BROBOT, YOU ARE AWESOME!"

Sadly, the robot couldn't respond. After some celebrating, Mr. L remembered why he was here. "Okay, okay. Calm down, Mr. L. I'm not here for vacation. I'm here for the Count. Okay, the Whoa Zone. I can find that."

He looked around and noticed the vastness of space. He gulped. "I-I can do it. We just need to...um...Ask for directions?" Even he knew how absurd that sounded. "BUT WHO THE HECK WOULD BE SITTING AROUND IN THE MIDDLE OF SPACE!?"

He took out a deep breath, then let out a frustrated sigh. What if the Count made up that part of the prophecy? What if he just wanted to get rid of him? This thought sat there for a moment, making Mr. L's heart sink. Then he shook his head. "No way! He wouldn't do that! I'm too amazing to get rid of! We just need to try searching."

Miraculously, Mr. L did find someone sitting around in the middle of space. It was a middle aged man who owned a shop called Twinkle Mart. "Have a twinkly day! Welcome to Twinkle Mart! If we're not closed, we're open!" Mr. L was about to say something when the shop owner cried out. "WAAAAH! I've been so lonely! Since grand opening, you've been my first customer!" He sniffled. "Maybe I should've thought about location before opening this place..."

"...Yeah. You think?" Mr. L asked, looking around. This was incredibly lucky for him, but not so much for the shop owner.

The shop owner lifted his helmet a little and put his hand in, wiping his tears. Then he put it back on. "Sorry. I just got a little emotional there. What can I do for you?"

He glanced at the basket of chocolate bars. Sweet Choco-bars. Shroom Choco-bars. Golden Choco-bars. He knew that he didn't need any candy right now, but he had been having some sweet cravings lately. The man in green reached into his pocket and pulled out his money. "I'll take five of your sweet choco-bars, please."

"Excellent! That'll be 50 coins." Mr. L handed the coins over and he got the chocolate bars in return. "Need anything else?"

"Just one more thing. Can you give me directions to the Whoa Zone?"

The man's face paled. "Th-Th-The W-Whoa Zone!?"

"Uh...Yeah. You know it?"

"The Space Graveyard!? The place that swallows anyone who goes in!?"

 _So, the Count hadn't been lying._ What a relief. Mr. L felt regret for even doubting his master. He nodded. "That's the place."

"W-Why would you need to go in there!?"

"None of your business," Mr. L snapped. "Just give me directions."

After asking if he was sure repeatedly, the shop owner finally gave in and told him how to get there. Mr. L thanked him. He was about to leave when a thought struck his mind. He turned back around. "Oh, and um..." He reached into his pocket and ended up pulling out 100 coins on the counter. "100 coins says that I was never here. If anyone else comes in, pretend that they're your first customer."

The shop owner thought about it, then nodded and took his money. "Have a twinkly day...And please be safe..."

"Sure thing." With that, Mr. L got back into Brobot. He sat back down, took off his helmet, and pushed the levers forward. "Alright, buddy. To the Whoa Zone!" And just like that, gone.

* * *

It took an hour or so to reach the Whoa Zone. Mr. L tore his way through one of the walls. The Green Thunder chuckled and allowed Brobot to reach the ground. He turned off his machine and stepped outside. Then he chewed his candy bar, which tasted of yogurt and chocolate. Mr. L looked around, but he couldn't see anyone. He waited for a good five minutes or so. Then he said, "Okay, where is he?"

Mr. L walked to the door on the left side of the room and tried to open it. It wouldn't budge. "What the-?"

He went to the other side. That door did open. The only thing inside was a golden statue...But no heroes. Not even another way out. He sighed and left the room. "Crud."

He turned to Brobot. "Looks like we're stuck in here until the hero shows up." He tried to look at this positively. "Well...At least I have time to think up my battle strategy."

After some thinking and eating the rest of his chocolate bar, Mr. L had a plan. He would try beating him on his own, but if that wouldn't work, he would use Brobot and blast him into space. Yes, it was perfect! (Of course it was. His plans were always perfect.)

He hid Brobot behind the torn wall. He covered up his obvious mistake by just peeling the wallpaper back on. Strangely enough, the wall didn't look that bad. "I guess the walls are...Paper-thin around here!"

Mr. L really had to stop making terrible puns.

Then he heard something squeezing through the door. He turned and saw something green pushing through. The Green Thunder jumped back in shock. Then he looked around for somewhere to hide. Mr. L glanced up and noticed a ledge high above the ground. He used his super-jump to land there. Then he watched the scene from above.

The green thing finished squeezing his way through. It turned out to be an alien of some sort. The alien was green and cube shaped. It had tentacles and a lone yellow star hanging from his forehead. Then the creature spoke with a high pitched voice. "Squeee! Now Squirps just has to wait for the heroes!"

His eyes widened. The heroes. They had to have been trailing behind this alien. Surely they would arrive shortly!

Well, no. It took an eternity for them to show up. Mr. L pulled up his right sleeve and looked at his watch, not for the first time. What time had he got here again? He started to wonder if those heroes would ever show up.

Then, suddenly, they did. Three different people wandered in along with a couple of pixels. One of the pixels was a rainbow butterfly. The other was a hand shaped pixel. As for the three people...They were vastly different. One was a giant koopa with a spiked shell. The second was a blonde girl in a pink dress. And the third, who was leading them, was a small man in red.

"SLOWPOKES!" The alien cried. He waddled over to them. "SQUAAAAAKLES! Squirps was tired of waiting! Squirps almost gave up!"

 _"You and me both, kiddo,"_ Mr. L thought to himself.

"The Pure Heart that you're looking for is just ahead, space grunts!"

The Pure Heart. Yes, that was what the Count wanted! Mr. L decided that now would be as good a time as any to reveal himself. "Squirps, you've done well. You're a smart kid," He told the alien.

The heroes looked around, confused. Squirps didn't notice. "Squirple, squee! Stop it! Squirps is embarrassed!~" Then the alien frowned. "Wait. Whose voice was that, sqoh?" Just then, Mr. L swooped down and pounced on Squirps' head. The creature cried out in pain. "SQUIRP!"

The man in green chuckled to himself.

"W-Who are you!?" A feminine voice asked.

He turned to face his enemies. He correctly assumed the butterfly pixel asked that question. "Oh, me? Just one of Count Bleck's more promising minions. The Green Thunder!" He spun around and did his trademark pose, slightly off balance. (Oh, how he had been looking forward to doing that!) "MR. L!"

"Mr...L?"

He grinned and walked closer to them, kicking the alien aside. "I don't need you to tell me it's a cool name. I know it. Don't bother memorizing it. Why? Because I'm about to give you a burial at sea! I mean...A burial at space."

His eyes wandered over to the man in red. This must have been the hero. But why did he look so familiar? Mr. L clenched his fists. "Just because you're in red doesn't mean you're strong. Have at you!"

Mr. L spent the next few minutes battling the heroes, though it didn't feel like a fight to him. It felt more like a dance, their moves as right and graceful as a romantic tango. He jumped into the air. The hero met him, though his jump wasn't nearly as high. The two clashed. The Green Thunder landed on top of the one in red. He punched him in the face. The hero cried out.

"Talk about poor taste in fashion," Mr. L muttered as he delivered another punch. "Who prefers red over green?"

"W-Why do you care?" The hero muttered. His cheek was bruised. "I've seen you before. Who are you, really?"

He grit his teeth. "I already told you! I'm the Green Thunder!"

He was about to punch him again. Then someone grabbed the man in green. They threw him across the room. Mr. L slammed into the floor. His side stung.

He looked up and glared. It was the giant koopa he saw earlier. The beast stood above him with his arms crossed. His voice was deep and raspy. "Watch it, pal! Nobody messes with Mario like that but me!"

That struck a cord. "M-Mario!?"

The hero sat up. He squinted at Mr. L for a few seconds. Then he shook his head. "No. Can't be."

The man in green stood up. He clenched his fists. Why was this one getting on his nerves so much? He rushed towards him, past the koopa. "Hey! GET BACK HERE!" The monster cried. He ignored him.

Mr. L was about to punch him again when someone got in his way. The blonde girl. "If you want to hurt him, you have to get through me!"

Mario sat up. "P-Peach..."

Mr. L smirked. _SLAP!_ Peach cried out. He kicked her legs, sending her toppling down. Then he sprung up. She used a parasol to protect her head. It sent her attacker back down. The man in green groaned as he hit the hard floor.

Ouch. Better drink up. Mr. L reached into the satchel hooked to the back of his belt. He took out a shroom shake and pulled the top off. He was just about to drink it when...

It was suddenly snatched from his hands. "Huh!? What?"

The giant koopa had it. He smiled and drank it down right in his face. Mr. L's mouth dropped open. The koopa laughed. "Gotta be faster than that, wimp!"

The Green Thunder glared at him. "...WIMP!?" He growled. "I'LL BREAK YOUR FACE!"

"Careful, Bowser!" The butterfly pixel cried. "I get the feeling that he's _very_ sensitive."

Mario. Peach. Bowser. Why did these names sound so familiar?

A rush of memories that he thought were lost. _Happybirthdayweloveyousomuch...Goawaygreenmarioorwhateveryournameis..._

These thoughts made his head hurt. Mr. L covered his ears. "Stop it!"

"Make me!" Bowser snarled.

Oh right. He was in the middle of a fight.

Fire. Mr. L backed away. He tried to drink a Shroom Shake again. Stolen again. The hand pixel gave it to the hero.

Mr. L clenched his fists. "Stop stealing my shakes, you charlatans!"

Mario jumped. He pounced on him. That was enough.

Mr. L fell to the ground. His hands stung. Why was he fighting so poorly? Something was holding him back. Now he was failing. But he wouldn't be for long.

The man in green got back up. "Oof. Impressive. " He smiled. "I guess there's but one thing to do, hmm?" He raised his arms in the air. "COME TO ME, METAL BRO!"

Just then, Brobot burst in through the walls. The heroes backed away. The robot came in between Mr. L and the three of them. He laughed. "Ha HA! Do you like him? That is my _dear_ metal brother. He and I share a spiritual bond, you know."

Mario blinked a few times, confused.

"Yes, yes, and his name is...BROBOT!" He hopped inside and rushed towards the driver's seat. He gripped both levers and turned on the mic. His voice echoed inside the machine. "Enough playing, already...NOW FOR PAIN!"

That was when Mr. L had a strange thought. A thought that went against his own beliefs and the beliefs of the Count.

He didn't want to do this.

* * *

The next thing he knew, they were in outer space again. Squirps came back and the hero was holding onto him. Peach and Bowser were drifting behind. These strange thoughts continued to plague his mind.

 _I don't want to do this anymore._

Mr. L brushed it aside. "The gravitational laws of space allow Brobot's potential to be fully realized!"

 _I shouldn't be hurting them. I know them from somewhere. Epecially the man in red._

He held onto the levers even tighter. "Hey, Mr. Jumps-all-the-time!" He called out to the hero. " _Now_ we'll see who's the better jumper!"

 _Are these heroes connected to my past somehow? It's a long shot, but..._

This time, Mr. L wasn't quite feeling the action. His mind almost turned off as he shot lasers at the heroes. He tried to block these thoughts out, but they just kept popping up, like weeds. One stood out from the rest.

 _I want to protect him._

He pressed a button. Shot a missile. The hero used the alien to fight back, shooting fire. Then the man in green used an attack he had been looking forward to using. Mr. L pulled a switch. Brobot's mouth hung open. Wind pulled the heroes closer. Mario was the one sucked in. Peach called out his name.

The attack wasn't deadly. Btobot shook the hero in his mouth, banging him up. Then he spit him back out. Mario cried in pain.

That wasn't satisfying. Why not?

Soon, it was over. The only problem was that Brobot was falling apart in a fiery explosion. The man in green couldn't help but feel sympathy for his creation. "Hey...This makes no sense!"

 _Nothing makes sense to me._

They crashed back into the Whoa Zone. The heroes landed gracefully on their feet. Mr. L landed flat on his stomach. Again. "N-No!" He cried. "You beat Brobot!?"

 _Thank goodness._

He stood up, trying to ignore the pain. "Ugh. I'll let you off the hook for the rest of today, I suppose. But remember this...When Fortune smiles next, she'll smile right _here!_ On Mr. L!"

With that, he jumped past them and ran out of the room. As he was leaving, he heard the alien say one last thing. "Ugh...That was awful, Squirp!"

He opened the door to the left and shut it behind him. Mr. L pressed his back against the door. He peered down. A broken lock on the floor. Ah. So, that was why he couldn't leave earlier.

The Green Thunder buried his face in his hands. He shook, anger consuming him. "AAH!" He rushed to the wall and punched it. Mr. L didn't care that his hand was throbbing.

Why couldn't he beat them? Mr. L was a minion of Count Bleck, not one of them! They were his enemies! Why was he thinking of them any differently!?

He let out a frustrated sigh. "Oh well...I better let the Count know of my failure."

He held down on the buckle of the belt. It gave off a yellow glow, which started out small but eventually covered his whole body. Then, he vanished into thin air. The next thing he knew, he was back in the castle. The man in green didn't want to tell the Count what happened, but he knew that he had no choice. With his head lowered, Mr. L left his room and headed for the common room instead.

* * *

 _Did you notice the pattern with the static during the birthday dream? If not, go back and reread it._

 _A lot to say here. The first chapter was short because it was a short assignment for school. This chapter is long because now I'm thinking of this as an actual fanfic that I want to put my time and energy into. I guess I'll need to find that balance._

 _Yes, I know that the fight in Super Paper Mario didn't actually go like that (moves other than jumping, dialogue, etc.), but come on. How exciting would it be in story form if all they did was jump around and stomp on each other's heads? Plus, convenient high-ledge is convenient, but how else was L able to swoop down like that if Brobot wasn't there?_

 _Also, I have this headcanon that Mr. L curses a lot. But part of me wants to keep the K rating, which means I'd have to have him say K rated things. In other words, he can't curse. (Sort of like this chapter. Notice how I had him say 'crud' instead of 'crap' or 'shit'?) But the other part of me wants it to be consistent with another story I'm writing in which he does curse. Idk. Let me know in the reviews which one you want._

 _One last thing. I'm pretty sure that the Mario brothers are from Brooklyn, New York, so Mario and Luigi grew up as Italian-Americans. That's why Mr. L loves both American and Italian food._

 _I hope this was good enough to satisfy you for now!_

 _-Colorful and Free_


	3. Mixed Feelings

_I'm back with another installment of Thunder Storm! A few things to get out of the way. First off,_ _I've decided to make this a full length fic. It will cover the events of Super Paper Mario up until the end and maybe even a little bit after. This is good because my sister actually got Super Paper Mario for her birthday! That means I can use the game as a reference._

 _Second, I read that an hour in space is actually seven years on Earth. I know that Mr. L was not gone for seven years, so we're just gonna ignore science and say that he was gone for a number of Earth hours instead. (Mario games ignore science anyways. Just look at Super Mario Galaxy.)_

 _And finally, to the person who sent that request: I'm glad you enjoy my writing and think I can do your idea justice, but no. Sorry. I don't take requests. Plus, I don't watch Dragon Ball Z. I haven't even played Superstar Saga, so I didn't understand what you were talking about for most of that. But I can tell you put a ton of thought into that idea. Maybe you should try writing it yourself?_

 _But enough rambling. On to Chapter 3!_

* * *

After checking the meeting room and finding no one there, Mr. L decided to check the next best place. He stood outside the Count's bedroom door and knocked. "Come in," The Count said.

The man in green opened the door. He entered a room that was twice as large as his own. The walls were covered in navy blue paint. There was a large bed in the center of the room with elegant purple blankets and two navy blue pillows. There was also a small nightstand and rectangular purple carpet on the left side of the bed. To the right, there was a dresser along with a full body mirror off to the side.

The Count was sitting on his bed, reading the Dark Prognosticus again. He looked up, then smiled and closed the book. After putting it on the nightstand, he said, "Ah, Mr. L. Count Bleck didn't think you would return so quickly. How did it go?"

"Not very well, Count." Then he explained what happened. He left out the part about wanting to protect the hero.

The Count frowned. "Count Bleck sees. So, the heroes defeated you."

Mr. L nodded. "Yes. I'm so sorry, Count. I tried my best! I just..." He stopped himself.

The Count raised an eyebrow. "You just...What, Mr. L?"

How would he explain his conflicting feelings towards the heroes? After a bit of thinking, Mr. L decided that he wouldn't explain them at all. He didn't like keeping secrets, especially from his master, but he had a feeling that it would be better to keep that part to himself.

He shrugged. "I just couldn't beat them. They were better than I expected."

The other man was quiet. Then he smiled. "Calm yourself, Mr. L. Count Bleck knew you would fail all along."

His eyes widened. "What?"

"The man in green shall reach the end of the Maze of Death. Though he will try to snuff the hero's flame, he will remember his own light and surrender in shame.' As told in the Dark Prognosticus." He glanced at the book on his nightstand and nodded.

"Oh. So...What was the point of sending me if you knew I would fail?"

"Count Bleck thought that you needed practice. Plus, you know how the heroes fight now. Did you study their movements?"

 _No. I was too busy trying to block out these stupid thoughts._

"Of course, Count."

"Excellent! Don't worry. My minions have been failing their missions lately. Yours was just a minor setback. Count Bleck still has every intention of defeating the hero when the time comes."

Mr. L smiled. "Of course!"

Even though he was smiling, the man in green didn't feel right on the inside. It wasn't because he failed his mission. It was because Mr. L didn't _want_ the Count to defeat the hero. He wanted Mario to be happy and safe and...

"Mr. L, are you alright?"

The Green Thunder nodded. "Yeah," He lied. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You seem a bit...Off somehow."

He laughed nervously. Was it really that obvious? "I'm just upset that the hero defeated me. That's all."

"Never mind about the hero. The situation is under control, Count Bleck assures you. Now you should probably get ready for bed."

Mr. L's eyes widened. "Bed!?" He glanced at his watch. "But it's only 2:30 in the afternoon!"

The Count shrugged. "Time goes by slower in space. This means you also missed lunch and dinner. You must be famished."

"Well, now that you mention it...I _am_ a little hungry."

"Hmm. Well, then, you can wake one of King Bowser's former minions and ask them to serve you something. Some of them are surprisingly good cooks."

Mr. L thought of the giant koopa who stole his shroom shake and called him a wimp. _So, that's where the Count got his lower class minions._ Count Bleck and Nastasia often talked about how some of the goombas and koopas around the castle used to serve a ferocious monster king. That is, until Nastasia brainwashed them. Mr. L secretly thought that it was plain wrong to manipulate someone like that, but it wasn't his place to judge.

"It's okay. I can whip something up. Good night, sir."

Mr. L turned around and started to leave. He opened the door and was about to step into the hall when the Count spoke. "Oh, and Mr. L? One more thing."

He turned to face him. "Yes?"

"Our next meeting is tomorrow at noon. Same place as always. Don't be late."

His eyes widened. "You mean...?"

The Count nodded. Mr. L had been asking if he could attend a meeting for weeks now. The Green Thunder beamed. "Thank you so much!"

After having a bowl of Spicy Soup, Mr. L started to get ready for bed. He dressed in his pajamas and washed his face. When he returned to his bedroom, he turned the lights off. However, instead of going to bed right away, he turned on the small lamp on his desk. This was his way of getting around Nastasia's annoying sleep schedules. Plus, after a long day, it was nice to do something for himself.

Mr. L pulled a book down from his bookshelf. _Robotics 101: A Beginner's Guide._ Then he sat down at his desk and opened the book. He skimmed the chapter titles in the table of contents, then skipped to the section about repairs and upgrades. His brother would need those things if Mr. L ever wanted to face the heroes again.

Half an hour later, the man in green shut the book. To his disappointment, there wasn't a whole lot of information in there that he didn't already know. "Oh well. This _is_ a beginner's guide." He put the book back on the shelf. "I'll need to ask for a more advanced guide the next time we go shopping in the village. I've only built one machine, but I feel like I'm advancing faster than the average person. Not that I'm surprised. I am a fast learner." He paused. "At least...I think I am."

Mr. L sat at the desk, pondering. Most people remembered being small children or even toddlers. Mr. L couldn't even remember his last birthday. (He wasn't quite sure how old he was, but he felt that he was in his late twenties.) Whenever he brought up this problem to Nastasia, she would grow pale and change the subject. Something told him that she didn't _want_ him to remember the past. But she couldn't stop him from wondering.

He was about to turn off the lamp when he noticed something in the corner of his eye. It was a dark green journal with the letter L on it. He smiled and grabbed it. "Oh, what the heck?"

Mr. L laid in bed and wrote about the day's events in his journal. This time, he didn't hold back. He wrote about how he loved and hated the hero for reasons that he couldn't understand. He wrote about how frustrating his amnesia was. And he also wrote about the meeting he would attend tomorrow afternoon. After he was done writing, he couldn't deny how tired he was anymore. He finally gave in and turned off the lamp. Then he got in bed and buried himself in his blankets, trying to forget about that stupid hero.

* * *

The next day, everyone was in the meeting room. Mr. L stood on his own platform. He was calm and collected on the outside, but on the inside, his heart was filled with joy and excitement. It wasn't the fact that he was at a meeting that made him feel this happy. These meetings were reserved for the Count's best minions. If the Count needed him this much, then he would be on another mission in no time.

After getting the boring stuff out of the way, Nastasia finally got to the real reason everyone was there. "Yeah. So, guys? Huddle up, 'kay? We're just gonna have a quick new minion orientation," She began. "His name is Mr. L, and he comes to us from one of our key competitors."

Mr. L stared at his friends: Mimi, O'Chunks, and Dimentio. Although he knew each of them had their own strengths and potential, the Green Thunder still felt like garbage after losing to the heroes. And when he felt bad about himself, he had the tendency to take it out on others.

"Mmm. Can't say I'm impressed by the minion quality," Mr. L began. He sighed and shook his head. "No, indeed. No wonder you've been trounced up to now. You're like _junior_ minions."

O'Chunks glared. "JUNIOR!? C'mere an' I'll introduce yeh to Fist Jr. and his wee pal, Slappie!"

Mimi narrowed her eyes. "Gosh, Mr. L, but didn't you get pretty spanked too? So maybe _you're_ the junior!"

The Green Thunder stepped back in shock. "Spanked, you say?" _He only won because I was distracted._

Then he broke into a grin. Mr. L laughed. "I was _scouting_ him, dear. He will be mine next time."

Mr. L spun around and did his trademark pose. "Yes, he shall know the fury of the one and only Mr. L, AKA the Green Thunder!" Then he returned to his normal standing position. "But enough about me...I need to head to the repair bay for Brobot modifications. L-ater!"

With that, he jumped down from his platform. He only had to stay long enough to introduce himself since it was his first meeting. That was alright though. He loved talking about himself.

As he was leaving, Mr. L heard Count Bleck speak. "Though the man in red shall wield formidable powers, one shall stand against him. The man in green shall use the Chaos Heart's power to bring darkness to all." The Count laughed. "So it is written in the Dark Prognosticus."

The man in green shut the door behind him and headed to the 'repair bay,' otherwise known as the garage. He and Brobot were connected in more ways than one. Brobot was installed with the same teleportation technology that Mr. L had in his belt. It was also set to turn on whenever this technology was used.

The Green Thunder went out the back door, then went to the garage in the back of the castle. He entered the four-digit code. The door slid open. Mr. L went to the light switch. He took a deep breath, then flipped it on. Brobot was in pieces in the center of the room.

His eyes widened. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This was the price he had to pay for holding back. Mr. L went to the robot's pieces, then picked up one of Brobot's eyes. It had lost its bright yellow glow.

Mr. L frowned. "I'm sorry, _fratello._ I shouldn't have let them do this to you." He smiled. "But don't worry! I'll fix you right up! You'll be bigger, better! You'll..." His eyes lit up as an idea came to mind. Mr. L beamed. "YOU'LL HAVE MISSILES!"

"Missiles, huh?" A voice said.

Mr. L jumped. He turned to the source of the voice and glared. "You scared me!"

Dimentio was hovering a few feet away. He was wearing that stupid grin on his face. "I did? Oh. I apologize. I had no intention of scaring you."

Mr. L rolled his eyes. That apology didn't sound sincere. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to watch you fix your robot, like an art student who has a deadline to meet."

The man in green tilted his head to the side. Dimentio loved to use similes in his everyday speech, but Mr. L couldn't understand this one. "In what way am I like an art student?"

"Brobot is a work of art, wouldn't you say?"

Mr. L smiled. "Well...When you put it that way..." He glanced at the pieces, then sighed. "You got on my good side, so I suppose you could watch. Just don't do anything stupid."

He sat down and sorted through the pile. He knew that he would have to replace several of his brother's parts, but he wanted to save as much money as possible by reusing what he could. Mr. L found his levers, one of which was snapped into two. He also found a few pieces of the engine, which he knew he would have to replace.

"So, I hear that you've met the man in red. What did you think of him?" Dimentio asked.

Mr. L cringed. "I hate him."

Dimentio laughed. "You do? Why's that?"

 _Because he makes me want to protect him and I don't know why._

 _"_ Because he's trying to sabotage the Count's plans to create a perfect world. Duh."

"I suppose you're right. What about the others? The princess and the koopa king?"

"I don't mind the princess so much. She's actually kinda cute. It's too bad we're enemies or I would ask her out. As for the koopa king, he's a total pain in the ass! Next time I see him, I'm gonna show him what for!"

The magician chuckled. "I see the heroes are firing you up, like a child with a terrible fever. Why don't we change the subject?"

"Please. If I think about those heroes anymore, I'll want to punch someone."

Dimentio didn't have to think for long. "So, at the meeting today, Nastasia said that you came to us from one of our key competitors. Do you know what she meant by that?"

Mr. L shrugged. He found Brobot's other eye and examined it. The glass exterior was shattered, but other than that, the eye was in good condition. If it was fixed, he could possibly reuse the eye. "As if I know."

"Do you remember anything about who you used to be?"

Mr. L's eyes widened. He turned to his friend. "Why are you asking?"

"I'm just curious. That's all.'

The Green Thunder rolled his eyes and turned back to Brobot's pieces. "Well, curiosity killed the cat."

"But satisfaction brought him back. People always forget that part."

"Whatever. Can you hand me that hot glue gun over there?"

Dimentio nodded and snapped his fingers. Suddenly, the hot glue gun was right next to where Mr. L was sitting. He smiled and grabbed it. "Thanks." With that, he began gluing his broken lever back into one.

Ten minutes later, Mr. L had all of Brobot's pieces in neat piles based on what functionality they had in the system. He smiled and nodded, satisfied with his work. Then he stood and walked towards the door that lead to the inside of the castle. "I'll be right back. I gotta use the toilet. Don't touch anything or you're dead."

Mr. L walked out of the garage and shut the door behind him. Dimentio chuckled. He knew the secrets of everyone in the castle, with the exception of one. This had to change. Dimentio snapped his fingers. Then a dark green journal appeared in his hand. The magician looked for a lock, but couldn't find any. His smile grew. This was easier than getting into Mimi's diary! He flipped to the most recent entry and began to read.

 _Entry #20: Another long day working for the Count. Sometimes, I feel like I should be doing something else with my time, but I'm not needed elsewhere. Anyway, I just got back from my first mission. A real mission, not carrying Mimi's shopping bags or taking care of the groceries like I have been for the past six weeks. Today, I finally got to face the hero._

 _I was so sure that I would win this fight. I_ _nstead, I lost. He defeated me and destroyed my metal brother. I have absolutely no reason to care about the hero. After all, he's the one getting in the way of the Count's plans. But for some reason...I feel like I know him from somewhere. Not only that, but I want to protect him. I know that the Count is going to defeat him one day. The end just seems to be getting closer and closer. Is it wrong to want a little more time? I mean, I still haven't figured out who I used to be before I met with Nastasia that day. What if my true family is out there, waiting for me with open arms? What if the Void kills them?_

 _No, I shouldn't be thinking about such things right before bed. But I can't end this entry on that dark note. The Count invited me to a meeting tomorrow. I'm so excited. Don't get me wrong; I'm not actually looking forward to the meeting itself. Just the fact that he invited me proves my worth as one of his best minions. I hope it goes well. I need to work hard if I'm going to get another chance to fight the hero. Next time, I won't hold back._

Dimentio grinned from ear to ear. He knew something about Mr. L that few people in the castle did, not even Mimi or O'Chunks. Dimentio was one of the few people who knew that Mr. L's real name was Luigi and he was the fourth hero mentioned in the Light Prognosticus. The poor fool was just hypnotized into thinking he was one of Count Bleck's faithful servants. Dimentio almost pitied him. Almost.

Most of the time, Nastasia's hypnosis was so powerful that it was impossible to overcome. The only way that a person could be free again was to have the assistant undo it herself. However, since Luigi was one of the four heroes, he had incredible power inside of him. It was this same power that allowed Princess Peach and Luigi to resist Nastasia's hypnosis. This power could also undo any brainwashing.

Nastasia was well aware of this and kept a close eye on the man in green. If he remembered his true self, then all of the Count's hard work would be for nothing. But Dimentio knew that she couldn't keep Mr. L in the dark forever. Memories would gradually start coming back. The feelings of love that Mr. L felt for the hero would only grow stronger. With time, the man in green would remember who he really was and turn on Count Bleck. If he reached that point, no one would be able to stop him. Of course, Dimentio would take care of things before that happened. But since it hadn't reached that point yet...

"Oh, my. This is interesting." He snapped his fingers. The journal teleported from the magician's hands to the room where he found it. The jester chuckled a little. "I wonder how I'll use this to my advantage."

* * *

 _If you don't remember, Spicy Soup is an actual dish in Super Paper Mario. Here, it's this world's equivalent to chicken noodle. Just spicier._

 _So, if you've also read Swirls of Black and Green, you'll notice some parallels with that story and this one. That's because I wrote the first chapter of this story while also working on SBG. However, they take place in the same timeline, meaning this is happening before all that shit in the next story happens. I'm also pleased to say that Dimentio will be a lot more involved with this story than the other one. He's not exactly a good person, but he's a fun character. I love how mischievous and clever he is. *cough* And this story may or may not have Mr. L x Dimentio later on. *cough cough*_

 _Also, about Mr. L saying that he would ask Peach out. I don't actually ship them, but I can see him thinking about it. Remember this is BEFORE he met Daisy, so Peach looks like the best option right now. Of course, it will never happen, but you can't stop a man from dreaming. ;)_

 _The end of all worlds is drawing near. Will Mr. L realize who he truly is? Or will the Count keep him restrained? Just how does Dimentio plan to use Mr. L's self doubt for his own benefit? Find out in Part 4! Coming whenever I feel like it! (Possibly in January 2018, since that's the rate I've been updating lately.)_

 _-Colorful and Free_


	4. In Which a Plan is Concocted

It was late at night. Mr. L sat in the library of the castle, concentrating on the archaic newspaper. _HERO SAVES WOMAN FROM CRAZY APE!_ There was a picture of Mario with his arm wrapped around a pretty brunette in a red dress and makeup.

The article went on to talk about Mario and his girlfriend at the time, Pauline James. Mario was an intern at a local construction site when Donkey Kong, a popular ape at the Prospect Park Zoo in Brooklyn, New York, broke out of his cage and kidnapped Pauline. Mario, who was locking up, saw this and came to the rescue. The man in red was able to save his girlfriend before she got hurt.

"Hmm...Well, I have to give you props for bravery," Mr. L muttered. "I'm not sure I'd be able to go against a giant ape." He glanced at the picture of Donkey Kong at the bottom. He wore a smile and a red tie with the initials DK on it. It was hard to believe that such a friendly looking creature would be so aggressive.

The man in green skimmed through the rest of the newspaper. This came from a different dimension, where a country called America existed. Mr. L was not at all surprised when he heard of this place. In fact, something deep inside of him expected it.

There wasn't much else on Mario. He folded that paper up and put it back into the folder where he found it. Nastasia had folders filled with research materials about the three heroes from the prophecy. Strangely enough, she didn't have anything for that fourth hero. Not that it mattered anyway.

He grabbed another story and pulled it out of the folder. He unfolded it and began to skim. This one came from the Mushroom Kingdom. The headline was as straight forward as the previous one: _KING_ _BOWSER DEFEATED! MARIO BROTHERS SAVE THE DAY AGAIN!_ He was about to read the story when a picture caught his eye. Mario and another man were posing for the camera with the princess.

The other man looked exactly like Mr. L.

The Green Thunder rubbed his eyes. The picture looked the same. He stared at the photo, capturing every detail. His doppelganger had the same face as him, the only difference being his blue eyes. He wore a green shirt and blue overalls along with a green cap. His cap had an L on the front.

A strange sensation came over him just then. He read the caption at the bottom of the photo. _Mario Mario (right) and his brother Luigi (left) with our beloved Princess Peach (center)._

"Luigi," Mr. L repeated. The name felt foreign on his tongue, yet also familiar. Luigi was taller and skinnier than Mario, but the two brothers had an amazing resemblance. Same clear blue eyes. Same noses. Same smile, even. They had to have been twins. Fraternal twins, maybe, but still twins nonetheless. But if Luigi was Mario's brother...Then why did he have the same face as Mr. L?

He thought about it until his head started hurting. He rubbed his temples. "I'm thinking about this too hard," He muttered. "There are nearly seven billion people on Earth. Surely, that's enough for one person to look like me..."

"Mr. L?" Someone said. The man in green turned and noticed Nastasia standing in the doorway. "What are you doing up? It's past everyone's bedtime."

He stood from his chair. "Nothing! I just couldn't sleep is all. I thought I'd read for a bit."

Nastasia looked in the direction of the table and frowned. "About the hero again?"

Mr. L stared at the floor, somewhat embarrassed. "How'd you know?"

"Because you've been obsessing over him ever since you failed your mission the other day."

Mr. L frowned and crossed his arms. "It was a scouting mission. I just don't get _why_ I failed though. I'm supposed to be more powerful than him! The Dark Prognosticus says so!"

"Well...It is 1,500 years old. They could've gotten some things wrong. Anyway, you need to get to bed."

He huffed and muttered under his breath, "Why do you get to stay up?"

"I'm doing research for the Count. Now get some sleep. Don't let me catch you staying up again."

Mr. L sighed and walked past her. "Good night, I guess."

"Good night, L."

Nastasia watched Mr. L leave the room. She sighed. Apparently, he thought that she didn't notice how he stayed up late at night. Honestly, she needed to talk with their newest minion about that. She would do it in the morning, when he was awake enough to listen. The assistant went to the table and began to clear it off. She picked up one newspaper and her eyes grew wide. It was a picture of two of the heroes with Mr. L.

No, not Mr. L.

Luigi.

Nastasia took a deep breath. She had only met Mr. L's true self twice. Both encounters were brief. The first time, he tried to stop Bowser and Peach's wedding and save the princess. Instead, all he did was enrage the Chaos Heart and scatter everyone about the castle. The second time, Nastasia knew that he had to be the man in green mentioned in the Dark Prognosticus.

She had to brainwash him. However, he couldn't get the standard procedure that ordinary minions received. He was Mario's twin after all. She had no choice but to wipe his memories and release his inner ambitions, resulting in a person who acted completely different from his true self.

However, she still saw bits of Luigi in Mr. L. She saw Luigi when he was smiling and laughing with the others. She saw him in his complete focus to the task at hand. She saw him in his eagerness to help. She even saw it in the way he hugged her when she told him he was going on an actual mission for the first time.

Now, looking at the newspaper, she knew she shouldn't have let Mr. L see that. "Oh well. He's more likely to dismiss it as some kind of coincidence than realize the truth." Her grip on the paper tightened. "Although...I shouldn't take risks like that."

Nastasia took the paper out of the room. She would burn it and flush the ashes down the toilet. From there, she would order the Count's lower class to re-examine their research materials.

* * *

 _"I'm gonna kill you!"_

 _The boy in green pounced on his brother. The other boy glared and tried to shove him off, but the younger one was stubborn. He punched his brother in the face. The one in red punched right back._

 _They heard their mother's voice. "_ _Mario?" A burst of static. "What is going on!?" S_ _he ran down the back steps. "Both of you, stop it!"_

 _The boy in green felt someone pull him off of his brother. He groaned and struggled in his mother's grip. He tried to grab at his brother. "I said stop...!" Another burst of static._

 _At the sound of his name, the boy in green grew still. His mother put him down. By this time, Mario was standing, but he refused to look at his brother. The boy in green pouted and crossed his arms._

 _The woman looked back and forth between her sons. The two boys were joined at the hip and hardly ever fought with one another, especially like this. "What is wrong with you two?"_

 _"It's his fault!" The boy in green said. "I wouldn't have done it if he hadn't been so dumb!"_

 _"What did he do?"_

 _"He hit me!" Mario interrupted. "He punched me in the face!"_

 _"Only because you're such a stupid head!"_

 _"_ _I'm only listening to one of you right now!" The boys grew quiet at that. Their mama sure was scary when she was cross. She looked to her older son. "Mario?"_

 _"He told me there's a girl he likes in school," He mumbled. "Lisa Waller._ _So I went up to her and told her for him. I knew he wouldn't do it. I was just trying to help! It's not my fault how she reacted!"_

 _She turned to Mario's brother. After the static, she asked, "How did she react?"_

 _"She said that she wouldn't date me if I was the last boy on Earth," He muttered. "She said I was a baby and a coward and she didn't date cowards. And then she said that she'd date Mario if he was just trying to ask her!" He glared at his brother. "It's all his fault!"  
_

 _"Alright, I've heard enough. Mario, if your brother tells you something like that, assume it's meant to be private unless he tells you otherwise. And..." Another burst of static. "...No hitting your brother! I'm very disappointed in the both of you."_

 _The boys had painted looks on their faces. Their mother was a sweet woman and they hated making her upset._

 _"Say you're sorry."_

 _"But-" Mario started._

 _"Do it. I'm not asking."_

 _Mario sighed and turned to his brother. "I'm sorry."_

 _The boy in green mumbled, "Sorry."_

 _"Now shake hands."_

 _"What!? No way!" The green one shook his head._

 _"He's the one who hit me!" The red one added._

 _"Do it or no dessert for a week."_

 _The twins immediately turned to one another and shook hands._

 _"There," Mama said. "Now you two are going to be friends again!" She crossed her arms. "Honestly, you two are brothers! You shouldn't fight. One day, you'll be all each other has."_

* * *

"Brothers...Shouldn't fight..."

Someone started shaking him. "L!" He groaned. The person kept shaking him. "L, wake up! It's almost noon!"

His silver eyes opened. Mr. L sat up. "What? Noon, already?"

Mimi was standing by his bedside. She wore a hot pink tank top and a blue skirt. Her hair was in cute pigtails. "Yep. Come on. Breakfast."

Mr. L sighed. He stood and stretched. "Okay, I'm up. Happy?"

"The rest of us have been up for hours," Mimi said. "I told you you shouldn't stay up past Jaydes' hour. But did you listen? Nooooo!"

"Mind your own business, Arachne."

Mimi smiled at the sound of her nickname. She put her hands on her hips. "What? Am I such a bad friend for caring?"

"No. It's just annoying sometimes. What are we having?"

"Pancakes and ham."

Mr. L grinned. "Sounds good. Just give me time to get dressed."

Mimi nodded and left the room. Mr. L went to his closet and decided to wear something casual. He put on a green flannel shirt with black stripes and black pants. He also grabbed his mask, which he couldn't leave without. He ran a brush through his hair and checked himself in his mirror. Mr. L smiled at his reflection. He was handsome as usual.

When he left his room, Mimi was there waiting for him. The two walked downstairs to the dining room. They entered an elegant room with blue walls and a long table. The Count sat at the head of the table. He was in a large velvet chair with red cushions. The other chairs were smaller and didn't have cushions. Nastasia sat to his right and O'Chunks sat next to her. Dimentio sat next to the Count, on the latter's left hand side.

Mimi sat in her chair next to O'Chunks. "I got him up. Finally."

"Oh, good, says Count Bleck," Their leader said. "We were all beginning to think that our dear Mr. L was nocturnal."

Mimi laughed. "Oh, Count. You're so funny!"

Mr. L rolled his eyes. Mimi had a huge crush on their Count. She said she was waiting for the right moment to tell him, but everyone knew, including the Count himself. Mr. L sat in his spot next to Dimentio. As soon as he sat down, a koopa approached the table with a plate of pancakes. He placed it in front of Mr. L and nodded. "Thanks."

He turned and faced the koopa only to see red, lifeless eyes staring back at him. "You're welcome, man in green."

Mr. L frowned and turned away. No doubt that koopa was under strong hypnosis.

"So, how was your sleep, Mr. L?" The Count asked.

"Good," He muttered. He took his knife and spread butter over the pancakes. Next he took the syrup and poured it over his breakfast.

"Any interesting dreams?" Nastasia asked.

He was about to say no, then remembered his most recent dream. "Actually, I had an interesting one last night."

"What happened?" Mimi asked.

Mr. L thought hard, trying to remember every detail. "Well, I was a child in this dream. Another boy was with me too. We were fighting over something stupid. This might sound crazy, but...I think we were brothers."

Nastasia stopped eating. "Brothers?"

"Uh-huh." He took a pancake and cut it into halves. Then he cut those halves into fourths. He ate one of the pieces of the pancake, soft and sweet.

Count Bleck and Nastasia exchanged glances. Mr. L might have imagined it, but he thought he heard Dimentio chuckling. The Count asked, "Do you remember anything about this boy?"

"Not much. I remember he liked the color red and he was a bit short, but that's it. See, when I'm dreaming, I remember his face as clear as day. But when I wake up, my memory gets foggy. Right now, I can't even remember his name."

Nastasia glanced at Count Bleck again. He shook his head and went back to eating. Nastasia took a deep breath and began to cut her hunk of ham into smaller, bit-sized pieces. "It was probably a friend of yours. You don't know if he was your brother."

"But this woman said that we shouldn't fight _because_ we're brothers! I know we were related. I just..." Mr. L stopped.

O'Chunks had a pile of food on his plate. Five pancakes. A mess of scrambled eggs on top. Pieces of ham, bacon, and sausage. He was stuffing himself with food. Mr. L couldn't help but stare. The Scotsman noticed this and frowned. "What?" He asked with his mouth full.

"That's a lot of food."

O'Chunks swallowed hard. He spoke with his index finger out. "Warrior rule number one: never fight on an empty stomach!"

Mr. L looked to Mimi and Dimentio. The magician spoke up. "O'Chunks is facing the hero again today."

"And this time, failing isn't an option," Nastasia added. She glanced at the Scotsman. "Is that clear, O'Chunks?"

O'Chunks gulped. "Yes, lass. Clear as a bell!"

Mr. L grinned. "Well, when you see him, tell him a storm's coming. The Green Thunder never forgets!"

O'Chunks hesitated. "I don't know. I don't take bein' called a _junior_ lightly."

"Oh, come on. I was just teasing." He looked to everyone else. "Right? I was just teasing?"

Mimi frowned and crossed her arms. "I don't know. You sounded pretty serious."

"What!? Who's side are you on, anyway!?"

Dimentio chuckled. "I knew you were joking, Mr. L."

"See? Mr. Houdini over here gets it!"

O'Chunks furrowed his brows. "Mr. Who?"

The man in green shrugged. "I don't know. I think that's the name of some magician."

The Scotsman sighed. "Well...I'll think about it. How's that?"

"Good enough for me." Mr. L started to cut the second pancake into pieces. "And be sure to go easy on him, okay?"

O'Chunks frowned. "Why do I need teh go easy on him?"

Mr. L stopped. Everyone was staring at him. _Why did I say that?_ He had to recover fast. He smirked and feigned confidence. "I mean, you can easily crush him like the bug that he is. We all can. But at least make him think he has a shot, you know? That makes the fight more interesting."

O'Chunks hesitated. "Uh...Alright, lad. Whatever yeh say."

Thankfully, the rest of breakfast went on as normal. After everyone was done eating, the brainwashed Koopas and Goombas cleaned up the dining room. Mr. L felt a pang of guilt as he watched them. He turned away and began heading towards the garage. Before he could leave, however, Dimentio was at his side again. "Hey, Mr. L?"

The man in green jumped. "Would you stop startling me like that? _Per l'amour di Dio..."_

"You speak good Italian. Are you fluent?"

Mr. L nodded. " _Molto fluente._ Need something?"

"Yes, actually. It's my turn to get groceries, but I detest shopping all by myself. Do you mind coming with me?"

The mechanic looked in the direction of the garage. "I don't know. I really need to work on repairing Brobot."

"Didn't you mention last night you still need to get the new parts?"

"Well, yeah, but I gotta work on the blueprints!"

"Oh, come on," Dimentio said. "You can take a break, can't you? Besides, you need a more advanced Robotics guide, right?"

Mr. L stepped back. "How did you know that?"

"I know everything. So will you come with me?"

The man in green sighed. "Okay, fine. But only so I can get that better guide!"

"Marvelous. Let's go."

Dimentio turned towards the door, but Mr. L grabbed his arm. "Wait! I still need to get my shoes on!"

Dimentio snapped his fingers and a pair of gray boots appeared at Mr. L's feet. The man in green sighed and put them on. Dimentio wrote on the whiteboard on the fridge that they would be out. After both men were ready, the two exited the castle. After that, they took a walk to the nearby village alongside the hill.

* * *

The men talked on their way to the village. They were an odd pair, but they worked well together. Just as long as Dimentio didn't ask too many questions, Mr. L liked him okay. He was always there to listen and usually took Mr. L's side when he was arguing with the others. Plus, his magic and eloquent way of storytelling made him amusing.

When they arrived at the village, they were met with worn down buildings and a pretty purple sky above them. People were chatting and shopping in the stores. Merchants were out, showing off their charisma and fine jewelry.

"Only 300 coins and this beautiful gold necklace could be yours!"

"450 coins for a dazzling sapphire bracelet!"

"90 rubees for a polished diamond ring! Authentic too!"

Dimentio chuckled as they passed the diamond seller. "I bet Mimi is just waiting for the Count to propose, diamond ring and all. What do you think, L?" He waited, but got no response. The magician turned to his friend. Mr. L was staring towards the distance. Dimentio tapped his shoulder. "Mr. L?"

The man in green flinched. "Sorry. What were you saying?"

Dimentio raised an eyebrow. "What are you staring at?"

Mr. L pointed. "Those people over there."

Dimentio looked in the direction that Mr. L was pointing and noticed a crowd of people talking to each other. Although they varied in social class, all of them had forlorn looks on their faces. A girl was hugging her father and crying into his chest. "What about them?"

"They're humans. Like me. I thought we were an endangered species around here."

"Oh. Well, this village has had a flood of refugees. You see, the Void has already swallowed some worlds."

Mr. L's eyes widened. He spoke with fear in his voice. "What!? But the end's not here yet! Not even close!"

"It comes earlier for some places than others," Dimentio explained.

"Oh...But we still have time, don't we?"

"Of course we do, L. Don't worry. Come on." Dimentio floated on ahead, gesturing for Mr. L to follow. "Someone has to take care of the shopping."

"Right. Of course!" Mr. L caught up with Dimentio. "You got the list, don't you?"

Dimentio nodded. He pulled it out of one of his pockets. "I sure do. Let's see here..."

He began reading off the items they needed. The mechanic only half-listened. The Void had already erased whole worlds. Those people barely got out with their lives. Not only that, but who knows how many more innocent people weren't so lucky? How many lost their lives...Because of them?

Mr. L shook his head. _It's for the good of everyone. This way is better. I just have to believe in the Count's word._

The Green Thunder grabbed a small black crate at the front of the store. He followed Dimentio while the magician chatted away. He nodded and made short comments here and there. By the time they were waiting in line for the bagger, Dimentio said, "Alright, L. What's wrong?"

"What?"

"You know what. You've been acting off lately, like a teenager who suffers from melancholy, but refuses to tell their parents. Is this about the people outside?"

Mr. L sighed. "Alright, you got me. I just can't help but feel sorry for them, you know? I mean, they lost everything. I wish there was some way we could help..."

"Don't worry. Count Bleck will help them when this world ends. You'll just have to wait and see."

The mechanic nodded. "Okay."

Little did Mr. L know that Dimentio didn't believe a word he told him. _You and the others can be so gullible._ _Not to worry, L. I'll be the one to fix everything."_

Soon, they were second in line. The only problem was that a large family was in front of them. It looked like the children persuaded their parents to buy a lot of sweets along with several other food items.

Mr. L groaned. "Oh, Grambi! What couple decides to have seven brats!?"

"Now, now, L. We just need to wait patiently."

"I've been patient!" He shouted, a little louder than he intended. Mr. L felt pairs of eyes on him, but didn't care.

"I can help whoever's next in line," A voice said.

The man in green let out a sigh of relief. "Finally! We've been waiting here for...For..."

The other man was strikingly attractive. He had tan skin and thick black hair. He had a chiseled square face and large chocolate brown eyes. The best part was that he looked in his late twenties or early thirties, same as Mr. L. The cashier smiled at them.

Mr. L grinned and shoved past Dimentio. "Hey there, handsome. The name's Mr. L. It's a pleasure to meet you..." He read his name tag. "Tristan."

The cashier blushed. "Uh...The pleasure's all mine." He cleared his throat. "How are you doing today?"

"Better now that you're here."

Dimentio furrowed his brows. He looked back and forth between his friend and the cashier. Was Mr. L flirting...With another man?

"So, where are you from?" Mr. L continued. _Please don't tell me your world was just destroyed._

Tristan ran a hand through his hair. "I actually come from Sarasaland. Have you ever heard of it?"

The man in green stroked his chin. "Hmm. It rings a bell, but I don't think I've ever been there."

"The taxes there have been insane lately. Plus, the purple hole in the sky is huge."

Mr. L frowned. "I wouldn't worry too much about it. It's small here. We have plenty of time."

There was a moment of silence. Tristan kept ringing their items up while Mr. L turned to look at the window. Dimentio looked in the same direction. The Void had grown considerably since the Green Thunder took on his first mission. Mr. L started chewing the skin on his lip, a nervous habit he picked up recently.

"What about you? Where are you from originally?" Tristan asked.

Mr. L started to open his mouth, then closed it. He didn't have a solid answer for that question. _Crap. What am I supposed to say? 'I don't remember?' He would think I'm nuts!_ He scanned his mind for answers when he remembered the newspaper he read the night before. "Brooklyn."

Tristan furrowed his brows. "Brooklyn?"

"New York. The United States," Mr. L clarified.

"Never heard of it."

"It's in a different dimension."

Tristan frowned. "Does the Void really reach out that far?"

Mr. L shook his head. "I came here out of my own free will. I had no idea any worlds were in danger." He decided to change the subject before Tristan prompted him any further. "So, any plans for this weekend?"

"Um...I'm flattered, but sorry. I don't swing that way."

Mr. L frowned. "Really? That's a shame."

Just then, Tristan finished ringing them up. "Your total is 150 coins."

Dimentio came forward and laid some coins along with rubees on the counter. "Here you are. I hope that much will suffice."

Tristan's eyes widened. "You have rubees?"

Dimentio nodded. "One of our roommates collects rubees. Can't live without them. I believe a rubbee is 10 coins, if you need the conversion."

The cashier grinned and put some of the money in the register. "This much should suffice. You have a couple more rubbees than you need though..."

"Keep the change," Mr. L said.

Tristan smiled. "Thank you. Have a good day!"

 _"Ciao!"_

"L-ater!"

The two exited the store with shopping bags. Mr. L was still smiling. His cheeks were even a bright shade of pink. "You know, it's too bad that guy is straight. He was really cute."

Dimentio stared at the man in green. "You're attracted to men?"

The Green Thunder stared off to the side. "Uh...Yeah."

"Why didn't you ever mention this?"

"You don't go walking around...Er, floating around...Advertising the fact you like girls, do you?"

"So what you're telling me is...You're a homosexual?"

Mr. L's eyes widened. He jerked to Dimentio. "I never said that!"

Dimentio grinned. "Oh, Mr. L." He patted his head as if he was a small child. "There's nothing wrong with being gay. I don't mind. In fact, I applaud you for being so open about your sexuality."

The man frowned. "I-I'm not gay! I'm..." He stared at the ground, embarrased. "I'm bisexual, okay?"

"Oh. So you're attracted to both men and women."

"Yeah. Is that..." Mr. L looked up at his friend. "Is that wrong?"

The magician blinked a few times. There was a strange innocence in his eyes. He saw that kind of look on Mimi often, usually when she wanted something from him, but not on someone like Mr. L.

Dimentio shook his head. "No, not at all. I don't mind your preferences."

Mr. L messed with the shirt collar. "I actually prefer women, but I wouldn't mind dating a guy if they were interested. Or really good looking like Tristan."

"I see." Dimentio looked across the street. He pointed. "Isn't that the store where you found that first manual?

The mechanic looked up and nodded. "That's the one. I'll just head in there real quick. You want to come with?"

"You go ahead. I'll wait here."

"Okay. How about we meet back up out here?"

"Sounds good to me. Please return quickly, like an office worker returning form-"

Mr. L rolled his eyes. He set his bags next to a bench and walked away. "Yeah, yeah. I'll make it quick."

Dimentio watched his friend go inside the store. He stroked his chin, then sat on the bench. If the Dark Prognosticus was correct, the heroes would fail at protecting another world. After that, each of them would end up in either the Underwhere or Overthere based on their sins. If Dimentio's plan worked out the way he wanted, then Mr. L would have to go with them.

The Dark Prognosticus named the man in green as the ideal host for the Chaos Heart. He would need his power if he ever wanted to overthrow the Count. But how would Dimentio convince Mr. L to betray him? Well...He was stubborn, but he was smarter than the others. Maybe if Dimentio explained his intentions, then Mr. L would join him.

No, he wouldn't. Thanks to Nastasia, Mr. L believed that Count Bleck was his master. Dimentio couldn't just expect him to betray the Count willingly. Right now, he had two options. He heard rumors about an item from another dimension that could give its owner control of another person's mind. This item was called the floro sprout. It was in the same dimension the heroes would end up next. However, Dimentio didn't even know if the floro sprout would work.

The second option would be harder. He would have to get closer to Mr. L. That would mean convincing him to put down the screwdrivers and wrenches and spend some time with him. How in the world would he do that? The magician thought it over. After a minute or two, he had an idea. It was far-fetched, but it might just work.

Just then, Mr. L came out of the store, empty-handed. Dimentio floated over to him. "That was fast. Where's the advanced guide you were talking about?"

Mr. L frowned. "Oh, that? Yeah, I popped in there and asked an employee about it. Apparently, they only sell beginner's manuals here. And I don't know of any other place in this village that sells these manuals. I guess I'm just going to have to fix my bro without reference. I mean, I can learn the material in the books pretty fast, but...I don't know if I'm ready to upgrade a giant robot all on my own. I feel kind of nervous about it."

Dimentio blinked a few times. Most of the time, Mr. L was confident and even boastful of his abilities. This was the first time he ever noticed a dent in that confidence. _I need to see how he would feel about this idea. Maybe I can try testing him._

The magician laughed. Then he wrapped an arm around the man in green. He pulled him close and spoke softly into his ear. "Nervous? You have no reason to be nervous, my dear Mr. L. You started out by knowing nothing about robotics. Then you studied vigorously for four weeks and finished your first creation in half that time! Don't you see? _You're brilliant."_ Dimentio turned to his friend. He smiled when he saw how his words were affecting him.

Mr. L was blushing. And not so subtly either. His cheeks were as red as a fresh tomato. He grinned and laughed. "You really think I'm brilliant?"

Dimentio shook his head. "I don't think. I know."

The Green Thunder suddenly smirked. "Damn right you do! I'm one of the Count's best, after all!"

The jester chuckled. "Of course you are. Now, we should probably be heading back."

Mr. L nodded. He picked up his bags and walked back with Dimentio in silence. This was unusual as well. Most of the time, Mr. L wouldn't stop talking. He was still blushing.

"Are you feeling alright, L?" Dimentio asked. "Your cheeks are burning like a wildfire set unexpectedly into the night."

"I'm just thinking about Tristan. That's all."

The magician chuckled. "Whatever you say."

* * *

 _Per l'amor di Dio: For God's sake_

 _Molto fluente: Very fluent_

 _Mr. L's line about how there's enough people in the world to look like him is a reference to Super Mario Galaxy, when you play the game again as Luigi. The other Luigi says, "Well, I guess there's enough people in the universe to look like me."_

 _So, we got some new nicknames for the gang! Mimi is Arachne and Dimentio is Mr. Houdini, although L is the only one who gets that reference. Nastasia is obviously girlie because Mr. L couldn't think of anything better. O'Chunks' nickname will be revealed later. As for the Count...He doesn't get one because he's above the others._

 _It might be pretty obvious to you guys, but what do you think Dimentio's plan to get to Mr. L is?_

 _-Colorful and Free_


	5. A Surprise

_Special thanks to SpaceDimentio for helping me with this chapter!_

* * *

Mr. L and Dimentio returned to the castle and set their groceries in the kitchen. The former let out a sigh a relief. "I'm so glad to be back."

"I am too." Dimentio snapped his fingers. However, instead of a spell going off, two goombas came forward. One of them had those same red eyes that the Koopa from earlier had. The other one looked untouched and even had a mischievous spark in his brown eyes. Mr. L wasn't surprised; some of Bowser's minions turned to their side willingly. "Be good goombas and put these away for us, will you?"

"Yes, sir!" The goombas said.

"Wait, Dimentio," Mr. L interrupted.

"Yes?"

"Um...Can't we put away our own groceries?"

Dimentio raised an eyebrow. "Why would we need to do that? We have people who do it for us." The same could be said about grocery shopping, but that was only so Dimentio could talk to Mr. L further. He didn't see the same opportunity in putting things away, aside from small talk.

"I know, but this seems simple enough." With that, Mr. L turned to the goombas and pointed. "You two, go make yourselves useful and...I don't know...Clean something!"

"Yes, sir!"

The goombas left. When they were out of earshot, the one with the red eyes asked, "When do you think he'll figure it out, Kevin?"

"I don't know, Gary. It's already been a month and a half. You'd think he'd get it by now."

"Well, Luigi is one of those stupid Mario brothers."

"Let's just let the poor sap think he's the great 'Mr. L' a while longer," The goomba said with a smirk. "He's pretty funny when he's like this."

"Okay!"

The friends snickered as they returned to their duties.

Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, Dimentio furrowed his brows. "Why did you do that?"

"I don't know. I didn't really think before doing," Mr. L admitted. "But we might as well put these away." With that, he began taking food out of the large paper bags.

Dimentio watched with fascination and confusion before pitching in as well. "Is it something personal? I can't help but notice you've been giving the servants less of a hard time than usual."

"No. I mean...It might be a little personal. I was in their place for a while until Mimi took pity on me," Mr. L said, thinking back to that day in this same room.

 _He had only been around for a week. Mr. L was thrilled that morning when he heard he was going on his first mission for the Count, so one could only imagine his disappointment when his supposed "mission" was just getting the groceries. As he set his bags down in the kitchen, he mumbled, "_ _I can't believe they misled me like this. I'm the Green Thunder, gosh-darn it! I deserve to do so much more!" He sighed. "Oh well..."_

 _With that, he started loading food into the fridge. After putting away the eggs, milk, and some snacks, he saw bright green out of the corner of his eye. He turned and noticed a small green girl with pigtails. "_ _Hey."_

 _"Hi. You're that guy who slept in my bed that one time, aren't you?"_

 _Mr. L smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "Heh...Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. I was really tired for some reason."_

 _"You can't remember why you were tired?" She asked, tilting her head._

 _"Uh...It's a long story." In truth, he couldn't remember why himself, but he didn't feel like making up a reason. He continued putting things away, but he felt the girl watch him the whole time. He turned. "_ _Why are you watching me?"_

 _"Come here."_

 _He walked over to her. "What is it?"_

 _A small smile appeared on her face. "I just realized that I never learned your name. Mine's Mimi!"_

 _"Oh. I'm Mr. L," He replied._

 _"It's very nice to meet you." She got a little closer to him, lightly touching his forearm. "Tell me...Do you know self-defense?"_

 _Mr. L furrowed his brows, not sure how to react to her touch. "Uh...What?"_

 _"Do you know how to beat people up and stuff?"_

 _"Well...I guess..."_

 _She grinned. "Good. I hate to see all that potential go to waste. How would you like me to talk to the Count for you, get you promoted?"_

 _His eyes widened. "_ _You'd do that for me?"_

 _"Of course! Why wouldn't I? I am a nice person."_

 _He beamed. "Thank you so much!"_

 _She giggled. "It's no problem!" Mimi started to leave the room, then turned back at the last second. "_ _Oh, and have you ever thought about a costume change?"_

 _Mr. L blinked a few times. "What do you mean?" He asked, looking down at his clothes._

 _"I just think you could use some new clothes is all," She said, returning to his side. She eyed his outfit critically. "No offense, but those overalls are so played out. I can help you with that. I design most of my own clothes and I can design something awesome for you too! I would just have to get your measurements first."_

 _Mr. L thought about rejecting her offer, but then again, Nastasia did mention a change in wardrobe... "Okay. Fine."_

 _Mimi's smile returned. "Great! How about meeting in my room after dinner, maybe around 6ish?"_

 _"That sounds great. Thank again for your help."_

 _She grinned and walked out. "Oh, you're welcome."_

"...And so, she designed my mechanic outfit for me and gave me a boost up the social caste," Mr. L explained.

Dimentio chuckled. "I once heard Mimi going on and on to the Count about this man who needed to be included in his court. Is that really how she went about it?"

"Yeah. We'd hardly talked and yet she wanted me on board." He put some canned food into the cupboard. "She even called me her 'new project' for a little while," Mr. L added, making air quotes. "Not that I liked Mimi branding me as such, but..."

Suddenly, Mimi was in the doorway. "I heard my name. Are you guys talking about me?"

"We were just talking about our first meeting," Mr. L replied casually.

"How did that come up? And..." Mimi furrowed her brows. "What are you guys even doing?"

"Putting things away."

"Why? We have people who do that for us."

Mr. L sighed. "Mimi, don't you have something better to do? Like writing about how much you love the Count or something?"

Her eyes widened. "Mr. L, have you been reading my diary!?" She spoke with a mix of shock and disgust.

"No." He gestured to Dimentio with his thumb. "He has."

Dimentio grinned. "'I imagine the Count and me on a lovely beach. It's a sunny morning and the sand is warm...'"

Mimi covered her ears. "LA LA LA LA! I'M NOT LISTENING!~"

While Dimentio kept quoting Mimi's diary and she sung over it loudly, Mr. L decided to give the girl a break. He pulled out a small dead bird from one of the shopping bags. "Here. Take it." He and Dimentio spotted it on the way back. While most people would've ignored it and kept on, he knew that some spiders ate birds.

Mimi uncovered her ears. "Ha! There is no way you're gonna make me drop this with some..." She stopped. She started sniffing the air, drawing closer to the bird. Mimi let out a sigh of pleasure, even showing a small smile. However, she replaced it with a frown in an instant. She grumbled and took the bird begrudgingly, shooting a glare at Dimentio. "I'll get you, Dimentio. Just you wait!" With that, she left the kitchen with the dead bird.

Dimentio chuckled. "She's an amusing girl, isn't she?"

Mr. L allowed himself a smile. "Yeah, I guess she is somewhat entertaining."

After packing a few more things, the magician decided to test his idea some more. "So, it's obvious that Mimi is eager for her 'special someone.' How do you feel about romance?"

Mr. L shrugged, not giving it much thought. "I mean, it'd be nice, but I don't think it's happening anytime soon. What about you? Are you looking for a woman?" He quickly added, "...Or a man?"

"Yes, actually. I once had a nice girl, but we simply weren't meant for each other," Dimentio replied. It was half true. A long time ago, he met a girl who liked him, but he just didn't like her back for whatever reason.

"Hey, don't worry. You'll find someone." Mr. L put some apples in the fridge and noticed that the grocery bags were now empty. "I think that's all of it."

"Really? It feels like we had more when we were still shopping."

"Yeah, I agree, but at least we got that out of the way. Well, see you later."

With that, the man in green left the room. Dimentio watched him with satisfaction. His more emotional approach with Mr. L had potential, but just in case, he also needed to see about that floro sprout. He would wait until tomorrow. Then he would follow O'Chunks into the Land of the Cragnons.

Mr. L stroked his chin, deep in thought. Now that he got the groceries taken care of, he might as well get back to working on Brobot. "Hmm...Now, where did I leave my notes? I haven't worked in the garage yet today, so they can't be there." He thought about it before remembering that he left his notes in the library. "Of course. Hopefully, Nastasia didn't touch my notebook."

He went to the library. Mr. L was about to enter when a voice from inside stopped him. "No, no! Not that one! This one!" Mr. L stepped back to listen. "Nastasia doesn't want a trace of the man in green! If you see anything about him, get rid of it! Shred it, burn it! Those are direct orders!"

"Yes, sir!" A group of minions chorused.

Mr. L blinked a few times. "Man in green? But that's me..." He heard a shredder being put to work. He hesitated. "Just be casual..." The man in green took a deep breath, then strolled in casually. He saw that six koopas were in the room, one of which was in charge.

"Hello, man in green," They greeted.

"Yeah, hi. Have any of you seen my notebook?

Their leader spoke up. "The one you left in here last night?" Mr. L nodded. "It should be upstairs, in your room. I knew you would worry about it, so I put it up while you were out."

Mr. L let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, um...I wanna say your name is Jeffery?"

The koopa frowned. "Jeremy."

"Right, right," His smile faded. "Before I go, may I ask why Nastasia wants you to destroy stuff with me in it?"

"I don't understand, sir."

"You said she wants you to get rid of material with the man in green. That's me," He said, pointing to himself.

Jeremy shook his head. "No, not you. This man here." He showed Mr. L the piece of paper that he was holding. It was an article about Luigi. His picture was front and center, Mario being absent. This must have been an adventure he took on his own.

Mr. L nodded. "I see. Thanks for clearing that up." The man in green left the library. As he climbed up the stairs to his room, he muttered to himself, "Why would they want to destroy stuff about Luigi? That loser's really not worth all the fuss.

The smallest koopa watched him leave. He turned back to his leader. "He's gone."

Jeremy let out a sigh of relief. "Thank Grambi. That was a close one.

The others were so concentrated on the mistake they nearly made that they didn't sense another presence in the room. Dimentio stared at the group of Koopas, invisible. Coincidentally, he also had to go to the library, but he made it much faster due to his teleportation powers. After watching the exchange with Mr. L and the Koopas, he couldn't help but chuckle. These minions were so incompetent that they almost let Mr. L figure it out. They even left the door open!

Then again, that was the Count's problem, not his. Dimentio looked through the material on the table. He had to choose carefully; any that he didn't take would be destroyed. After thinking hard, he picked the best few resources. As soon as he touched them, they became invisible along with him. Dimentio grinned and left the room. He had to research Luigi if he wanted his plan to work.

* * *

Mr. L made sure to wake up bright and early the next morning. It was partly to get some work done, but also to make up for sleeping in the day before. He set his alarm for 7:30 and placed it on his writing desk on the other side of his room; that way, he would have to get up to press the Snooze button. When it went off, Mr. L got up and crossed the room, turned off the alarm, then started to get dressed. For some reason, he felt like brighter colors this morning. He chose a forest green shirt and jeans. (Of course, he still wore his mask.)

After getting dressed, he headed downstairs. He grabbed a quick mug of coffee and stepped outside to get started on his second build of Brobot. The night before, Nastasia mentioned that some smaller parts arrived. He could piece them together with what he had salvaged. When he came across the garage door, he entered the code. 6183. As the garage door slid open, Mr. L walked in, stretching along the way. He turned on the lights and went to the table where he left his blueprints. However, they weren't where he left them.

Mr. L furrowed his brows. "Huh? Who messed with my stuff?" His face grew sour at the thought of people messing up his work space. He clenched his fists and shouted, "I HAVE A SYSTEM, PEOPLE!"

"Looking for this, L?" A voice asked. Dimentio turned visible, holding the latest design for Brobot in his hands. "I love the design, by the way. Very unique."

Mr. L sighed. "Why am I not surprised?" To Dimentio, he said, "Would you quit doing that?"

Dimentio floated by his side. "Why? It's so much fun! Besides, do you not like it when I come and see you?"

"I don't mind you dropping in. I just don't like when you startle me like that." He walked closer to him and held his hand out. "May I have that back, please?"

"Well, since you asked nicely, here." Dimentio handed the blueprints back.

The man in green examined them, making sure that his friend hadn't ruined anything. Thankfully, he hadn't. He looked back up at him. "What are you doing in here?"

"I was waiting for you. I knew you'd come by here eventually, being the workaholic that you are."

Mr. L frowned. "That's nice. What'd you want to do, watch me work again?"

Dimentio shook his head. "No, I just wanted to talk."

"Okay..." He looked at his blueprints. Mr. L went to the table and tried to smooth them out. "I got some serious work to do though. Another time."

"But Mr. L, this simply cannot wait."

The Green Thunder smirked. "What? Entering in the freak show and need some advice?" He chuckled at his own joke. However, Dimentio wasn't laughing. He wore an unusual frown. For some reason, it was a bit unsettling. His smile faded. "Dimentio, I'm teasing."

"I don't like being toyed with, Mr. L," Dimentio said in a rather serious tone.

He blinked a few times, confused. "I'm...Sorry? What is this about?"

"Put down the blueprints first."

Mr. L did so, then asked, "Did I tick you off or something?"

"No, no. This is just a serious matter is all. I need you to answer a question for me and answer honestly."

"Okay."

"Were you just messing around in the village or do you really like other men?"

Mr. L blinked a few times. He waited to hear more, but Dimentio was silent. "Wait... _That's_ what this is over!?"

The magician nodded. The man in green groaned. He knew that there were people in the world who were against two people of the same sex being together, but Dimentio didn't seem to mind yesterday. Why was he bringing that up now? "Yes. I like other men. Why? You got a problem with that?"

"No."

Mr. L turned away. "Good, because anyone who does can answer to Brobot L-Type."

"Brobot...L-Type?"

"It's what I've been calling the future build of Brobot. It sounds more snazzy than Brobot 2 or something."

Dimentio's smile returned. "No, Mr. L. I wasn't asking because I'm offended by it or anything of the sort. I was just wanting to test the waters."

Mr. L turned back around, tilting his head. "Huh?'

"You see, even though I saw you enjoyed flirting with that other gentleman, I couldn't be positive. Some heterosexual men flirt with anyone, but are never serious about it," Dimentio explained. He said it in such a way that he sounded convinced this answered all of Mr. L's questions.

However, that couldn't be farther from the truth. It only raised more. "Okay...?" He walked to the end of the desk and reached for his screwdriver. "Why would you need to 'test the waters?'"

Dimentio came closer. Mr. L's eyes widened and he stepped back a bit.

"I wanted to see how you would feel about this..." With that, he pushed him against the wall. Before Mr. L knew what was happening, Dimentio leaned forward and kissed him. His eyes grew even wider.

The kiss lasted for a few long seconds. On one hand, it was sloppy and forced, but on the other, it felt nice. Dimentio's kiss was nice and warm and Mr. L felt like melting in his arms and...Wait, what!?

The man in green pushed his friend away. "W-What are you doing!?"

Dimentio chuckled. "I have to say, Mr. L, you've caught my eye. Your silver eyes are like the moon that the crying wolf howls under, your voice is rich like the finest chocolate, and you drip with snark and sarcasm. I'm a bit infatuated."

Mr. L blinked a few times. He never would've guessed this. Not in a million years. "So, you're saying...You love me?"

Dimentio shook his head. "Love and infatuation are two different things. Though in this case, maybe lust is the better word. I'm not sure. I haven't decided yet."

He narrowed his eyes. "Is this some kind of joke? Are you going to use this to out me or something? I haven't told anyone else..."

"I'm always deadly serious, Mr. L. Why would now be any different?" Dimentio asked. Mr. L started biting his lips again. Then it clicked. He was anxious. "I'm not trying to embarrass or humiliate you, if that's what you're wondering. I just assumed you were straight, so I kept quiet, but now I know that I have a chance with you after all."

The Green Thunder tried to speak, but his words came out jumbled. He sounded like a stuttering mess, unlike his usual confident self. Mr. L took a deep breath and started over. "I-I don't know if I'm comfortable with this..."

Dimentio put his hands on his face. "It's alright, darling. We don't have to rush."

Mr. L frowned. Darling. Such a sappy pet name. He stepped back, taking the jester's hands off of his face. "That's too close. And don't call me that."

"Why not?"

"Because...I don't know if I'm comfortable with you and me," He replied, pointing back and forth between them. "Don't get me wrong! You're a good friend and I've really appreciated your support lately, but...I just don't know if I feel the same."

The jester stroked his chin, pretending to think. Luckily, he thought ahead of time, so he already knew what to do. "Hmm...How about we work out a little deal then?"

"A deal?"

Dimentio nodded. "That's right. How about you let me do this, and in exchange, I can tell you a bit more about your past?"

Mr. L's eyes widened. "M-My past? But I don't have a past...

"Oh, sure you do. For example...Do you remember how you told that strapping cashier about Brooklyn?"

He shook his head. "That was just a random city that I picked out from the newspapers..."

"Think again. You were actually born and raised there. I would say that I'm impressed, but then again, you could have been drawn to it unconsciously."

Mr. L narrowed his eyes. "How do I know you're not making this up?"

Dimentio frowned. "Does it sound like I'm making this up?"

Mr. L let the idea sit there and supposed that it wasn't too absurd. While everyone else never heard of Brooklyn, Mr. L knew it well. He could see the city and smell it in his dreams. Plus, he didn't seem to have a family here. He had to have come from somewhere. "I-I guess not. But...If I was born in America, then how did I get here? In this world?"

"Oh, I don't know. I forgot. _Ciao!"_ The magician started to head for the door.

Mr. L hesitated before calling out, "Wait!"

Dimentio turned back around with an impish smile. "Yes?"

"How do you know who I was? I don't even know that..."

"Well, I could tell you, but where's the fun in that?"

He took a deep breath. He couldn't believe he was going to do this, but there was something that had been on his mind for a while. "Okay. I'll give you something, but you have to answer a question of mine. Deal?"

The magician raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious. "What is it?"

Mr. L walked up to him and planted a sweet kiss on his lips. He broke the kiss and looked down at the floor. Dimentio stared, surprised. He almost thought it was for real until Mr. L went on, "I assume you know who my real family is."

Dimentio nodded, his smile faltering. Why was he disappointed? "That's correct. But is that all you really have to offer for information like that?"

He shook his head. "No, no. I just want to know if they're okay. Or if they're even alive, that is."

Dimentio hesitated. He really did like Mr. L. Maybe he didn't love him, but he liked him. He could tell him that his family was dead so he would be more inclined to turn to them. Then again, that could damage his morale greatly. "They're alive."

Mr. L felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He sighed happily. _"Grazie Dio..."_ Then he remembered that Dimentio was still watching him. He cleared his throat and straightened his composure. "I mean, um...Thank you, Dimentio. I-I'll think about this..."

The jester grinned, satisfied. "I'll see you soon, darling. _Ciao!"_

Mr. L frowned. "I told you not to call me-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Dimentio teleported out of the room. He left the black outline of a square behind him.

Mr. L sighed and buried his face in his hands. He let out a loud groan. This wasn't supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to get involved in romance. He was supposed to work on his brother, finish him, capture or destroy the heroes of Light, then forever be known as Count Bleck's top minion! However, literally none of those things were happening now and he had to deal with confused feelings to boot!

What had he gotten himself into?

* * *

 _Grazie Dio=Thank God_

 _If you forgot, Gary is the goomba who got hypnotized by Nastasia. His friend didn't have a name in the game, so I named him Kevin. That's why they know about Luigi/Mr. L. Gary remembers his past but likes serving the Count anyway and Kevin joined the cause willingly. (Coincidentally, I watched some clips of a documentary in Psychology about two friends named Garrison and Kevin.)_

 _Later, if you play Mr. L's second encounter as Mario, he says, "Those overalls are so played out! Have at you!" That's where I got Mimi's quote from about his overalls. (This doesn't necessarily mean that Mario will be the main for that battle, though.)_

 _I forgot to mention this in SBG, but the garage code is 6183 because that's the date of Luigi's first video game appearance. He first appeared in the_ _arcade game Mario Bros. on June 1st, 1983._

 _I really don't hope this story is bringing up the LGBT themes too much. See, I'm a lesbian, and I don't think there are enough stories (fanfics or otherwise) about gay relationships, although this one isn't exactly ideal. When I find one, it's usually either fetishized and/or a lemon. Plus, I rarely ever see bisexuality, and I think representation is needed, considering biphobia is a thing EVEN among gays and lesbians. (Which is stupid, btw.)_

 _-Colorful and Free_


	6. All Brawn, No Brains

_It began with a party in a lit up ballroom. People in elegant dresses and suits were dancing. He and Mario were standing in the center of it all, talking and joking with one another. The conversation was casual at first and muddled in the memory, but he could make out snippets of their talk._

 _"...Such a stuffy party, for us?"_

 _"Oh, come on, bro! Everyone dancing in with pretty music? I love it! It means we're honorable!"_

 _"I suppose."_

 _That was when their friend Peach came. She and Mario slogged through more small talk before she said something that caught his attention. "_ _Do you two mind coming with me for a bit? There's someone I'd like you to meet."_

 _Mario grinned, enthusiastic about meeting new people. "_ _Not at all! Come on..." Static._

 _"Uh...Okay."_

 _The princess led them to a girl in a yellow dress who was filling her cup with punch. She had long wavy brown hair. Peach tapped her shoulder. The brunette turned, smiling brightly. "_ _Hiya, Peach!" She gave her a hug. "I'm so glad you're alright."_

 _The blonde grinned. "Of course I am. No one can keep me locked up forever."_

 _The two laughed. Mario joined in. "_ _It's true. She may look sweet, but she's full of sass."_

 _The girl in yellow raised an eyebrow. "Who are your friends, Peach?"_

 _"Daisy, this is Mario and..." More static. "They're the ones who rescued me from Prince Bowser." She turned to Mario and the boy in green. "Boys, this is my cousin, Daisy. She's the Princess of Sarasaland."_

 _"Hello there, Princess Daisy! It's nice to meet you!"_

 _Daisy curtsied. "It's nice to meet you as well. Thank you both so much for saving my cousin. So, where are you from? I don't think I've ever seen you two around here before!"_

 _"Brooklyn," Mario replied._

 _The princess looked confused. "Brooklyn?"_

 _"New York. You know, America? Don't tell me you've never heard of it!"_

 _She shook her head. "Nope. Can't say that I have."_

 _"They're from another dimension," Peach explained._

 _Daisy gasped. Her eyes lit up. "Another dimension!? Wow! That's so cool!"_

 _The boy in green smiled, scratching the back of his head. "You really think so?_

 _Just then, the music changed from an upbeat melody to a proper waltz. The four looked around and noticed people starting to dance. "I believe it's time for the traditional waltz," Peach explained._

 _The boy in green nodded. "Ah, I see." He said that with a bit of a blush creeping onto his cheeks. He had a small crush on Peach at the time, but he never mentioned it to Mario. He didn't want to break his spirit._

 _He was about to reach for Peach's hand when Mario grabbed it first. "_ _I call Peach!" With that, Mario ran off with the young princess._

 _The boy in green frowned. "Mario, wait!"_

 _He was about to follow them when the Sarasaland princess grabbed his hand. He turned, confused. The angel in the yellow dress smiled sweetly. "T_ _hey're not worth all the fuss. May I have this dance,_ _L̷̠̃ū̴̜̀i̴̥͠͝g̷̢̛̞ĭ̸̧?"_

* * *

"So...What's this game called again?"

"Zombies vs. Aliens 2! It's the video game of the year!"

Mr. L raised an eyebrow. He was currently sitting on Mimi's pink bed. Her gaming system was all set up and had the "video game of the year" running. Mimi held the Player 1 controller while he was stuck being Player 2. After getting a surprisingly decent amount of work done, Mr. L took a nap and had another bizarre dream. He decided to take his mind off of it and the morning's events by playing co-op with Mimi. Once that got boring, she suggested this game.

"The video game of the year, huh? What's it rated?"

"It's rated M for a bit of gore involved."

He couldn't help but show a small smile. "Really? I didn't think you were into this kinda stuff."

She shrugged. "Yeah, everyone sees me as some kinda daffodil when we first meet, but I do like some blood and guts every now and then."

"Does that include horror?"

"Eh...Depends. I hate jump scares."

Mr. L turned to the TV screen. "Well, we're at least halfway there."

"Okay, I'm the zombies!"

"Alright, I'm taking the aliens then. I have an advantage because I've actually been to space."

Mimi rolled her eyes. "Yeah right. Like I actually have to be undead to play as freaking zombies."

The two customized their weapons and forts before starting the game. There was a corny intro where the aliens were destroying humankind in their spaceships. However, as a result of the toxic chemicals used, the humans re-emerged as zombies. Thus, an intergalactic war began between both sides. All of this apparently started 1,000 years ago.

"1,000 years? And one side is still standing?" Mr. L asked.

"Shh! The battle's starting!"

With that, their characters began to brawl while smaller enemies dueled in the background. Mimi was fully submerged into the game world, but Mr. L still had his thoughts on that day. _Usually, this is the kind of stupid distraction that keeps my mind occupied, but I can't help but think back to that morning. Me and Dimentio...The more I think about it, the less disturbed it makes me feel. He's always trying to mess with me...Can that be because he likes me?_

"...Believe I already have this figured out. You're so going down!" Mimi shouted.

"Uh-huh. Keep telling yourself that." _Then again, there was that girl I've been seeing in my dreams lately. She was so beautiful, like an angel. Still, I don't know if she was even real. These dreams feel so surreal when I wake up._

Mimi mashed the buttons on her controller. "Come on, come on..."

Mr. L sighed. _This is so stupid. I feel like a naive little schoolboy._

"Yes! 6,000 points ahead!"

The man in green looked towards his friend. _What about Mimi? Is she even going to accept me? What if someone here is homophobic or something? I mean, they don't seem like that kind of people, but I can't be certain. Ugh...I hate worrying about this. I wish I could just go back to pounding those heroes in. At least I know they're supposed to hate me._

As the zombie dismantled the alien ship and ate the creature's brains, a game over screen announced Mimi as the winner. She cheered. "Woo! High score!"

Mr. L, who was only half-paying attention, looked at her with a confused look on his face. "...Hmm?" He turned to the TV and saw that she won the round. "Oh, yeah. Nice job." Mimi furrowed her brows. She looked at him strangely, as if he had a second head growing. Unsure of what to do, Mr. L raised his fist. "Uh...Woo?"

"Are you...Congratulating me? Without even one snarky remark?"

"Yeah? What's the big deal? I just told you you did a nice job."

"Yeah, but I just beat you and broke your high score," She said, gesturing to the TV. "Why aren't you protesting or at least sulking?"

Mr. L shrugged. "I've only played this game once before. That high score isn't super important to me." He sighed. "I don't know. I just have a lot on my mind is all."

Mimi put down the controller. "Like what?"

He hesitated. "Well...Something happened this morning. I'm pretty sure you and everyone else were asleep."

"What was it?"

Mr. L frowned. "I can't tell you. You're going to blow it out of proportion."

Mimi pouted. "No, I won't! I promise."

The man in green sighed. "Okay. I found out recently that someone here is crushing on me..." Mimi's eyes widened. "And I may or may not like them back. I'm not sure."

The girl gasped. "What!? Really!?" She grabbed both of his hands. "L, this is a big deal!"

He frowned. "See?"

Mimi glared. "I am not blowing this out of proportion!"

"Yes you are. Now I regret telling you."

Mimi tilted her head innocently. "Why?"

"Because the minute I tell you who it is, you're going to run over to them and give them some pep talk about romance and going for it."

The spider grinned, twirling loose strands of hair with her finger. "I won't. I guarantee that. So, who is it?"

Mr. L stared at the floor. "Before I tell you, you should know that..." He sighed. "It's a guy."

There were a few seconds of silence. "Oh." Mimi's eyes widened. "Wait, what!? Someone has a gay crush on you?"

Still refusing to look at her, he muttered, "Well, um...I'm not exactly straight either."

She was quiet. Mr. L took a deep breath and looked Mimi in the eye. "I like guys as well as-"

"Wait. So...You're gay?"

He felt his eye twitch. "No, I'm not gay."

Mimi smiled sweetly. "I don't mind if you are. I've always wanted a gay best friend. Although this isn't exactly how I planned things to go between us..."

 _Well, at least she's not homophobic._ "I'm bisexual."

She tilted her head. "Bi-sexual?" She placed emphasis on the first part of the word.

"I like guys as well as girls."

Mimi blinked a few times. "That's a thing?" Mr. L nodded. "Are you sure this isn't some kind of transitioning phase or something?"

He frowned. "I'm pretty sure it isn't."

"Well...Okay," The spider smiled. "But if you aren't going to tell me who it is, can you at least tell me a bit about him? It will help me get straight Mr. L out of my head."

The Green Thunder laughed. "Okay. He's someone we know. We see him every day. He likes messing with me, but...He's also really captivating. And elegant. And smart too."

"The Count likes you!?"

Mr. L's eyes widened. "What? No!" He shook his head. "That's gross! He's like...Fifteen years older than me!"

She let out a sigh of relief. "Okay, good. Hmm...O'Chunks isn't the brightest tool in the shed and probably would've spilled the beans by now."

"You're getting closer."

Her eyes lit up with a new idea. "Ooh! Ooh! Is it that one goomba that you've been giving a hard time?"

"No!" Mr. L sighed, defeated. "It's Dimentio, alright? Dimentio likes me."

Mr. L waited for her big reaction, but got none. Instead, Mimi blinked a few times. "Huh. You know, for some reason, that doesn't surprise me very much. He was kinda flirting with you at dinner. You didn't notice?

He furrowed his brows. "No. What do you mean by that?"

"He was all like..." Mimi turned into an exact copy of Dimentio. When she spoke, she even sounded like the crazed magician. "Oh, Mr. L, you are so amazing! Why don't we go spend some one-on-one time together? You know...Dinner, dancing, a trip to the moon! And you were all like..."

Next, Mimi changed into Mr. L. Unlike Dimentio, he appeared apathetic. He shrugged. "Meh. I guess."

Mr. L laughed. He had to admit her impersonation of him was pretty solid. "I guess I was too preoccupied with working on my bro."

The copy of him smirked. "So, what are you gonna do about it?"

"I don't know. I mean, part of me thinks that this isn't genuine. That he's just waiting for me to give in so he could laugh and say he fooled me. The rest of me wants it to be. I mean, I've never had a boyfriend. At least, not that I remember..." He let out another deep sigh. "Amnesia fucking sucks, Mimi."

Mimi frowned and changed back into herself. "Hey, watch your language! The Count hates cursing!"

"Well, he's not here, is he?"

She sighed. "I guess not. Anyway, if you're curious, why don't you give him a chance? Besides, if it doesn't work, I'm sure that you could have any girl you want. You're pretty cute. And even if he is trying to embarrass you, we can get him back. I've been planning a revenge plot ever since he started quoting my diary yesterday."

"I suppose you're right. Maybe I could give him a small chance. But...Do you think the Count would kick me out?"

"For being gay?" She stopped herself. "I mean...Bi? No way! I know a couple of the Koopa King's former minions who swing the other way. The Count mentioned he doesn't care what they like, as long as they're efficient."

Mr. L felt a weight lift off his shoulders. Smiling, he got off of the bed and put down the controller. "Thanks for your advice. I'm gonna go talk to him."

Mimi switched the game to single mode. "Hey, no problem. That's what girlfriends are for. I mean, friends that are girls. You know what I mean."

"Yeah." Mr. L left the room. "L-ater!"

He was feeling good about talking to Dimentio until he came across the Count and Nastasia in the hallway. "...Then again, Count Bleck didn't explicitly say that O'Chunks had to go alone."

The assistant frowned. "This wasn't his mission though! If he had permission, one of us would've told him so!" Nastasia sighed. "I'll be sure to punish him when he gets back."

The man in green stopped, suddenly feeling worried. "Hey, have either of you seen Dimentio?"

Count Bleck sighed. "He's just the trouble..."

Mr. L furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?"

Nastasia handed him a piece of paper. "He left this note on his bed."

He took it and read the message aloud. " _I hate to do this on such a short notice, but I had a feeling O'Chunks would need some help. So I left. I expect to be back when we return with the heroes, like a swift lioness with its prey. Ciao. Dimentio."_ Mr. L put down the letter. "You've got to be kidding me."

* * *

Mario frowned as he made his way through the village of Crag. While the others were thinking about the Floro Sapiens and kidnapped villagers, Mario had his mind on two people in particular. One of which was that mysterious man he fought in space. His silver eyes pierced through him, as if he knew every movement and trick that Mario had up his sleeve.

The other was, of course, Luigi. It had been months since Mario had last seen his brother. He still remembered that first day when they were told that Peach was kidnapped. That wasn't unusual, but going this long without his player two was. He could hear Luigi's determined voice in his head. _I won't stand for this! We'll have to go to his castle and rescue Princess Peach! Let's go, bro!_

 _Oh, Luigi. I hope that you're safe, wherever you are._

"Hey, Mario? Are you alright?" Peach asked. "I can't help but notice you've been quiet."

"Oh, like that's unusual for Mario!" Bowser snarled.

Peach frowned. "I mean, quieter than usual."

"Oh...I just can't stop thinking about that guy we fought in the Whoa Zone. What was his name?"

Bowser didn't give it much thought. "Already forgot. Come on. Let's get going."

Peach narrowed her eyes. "Bowser."

The koopa grumbled and slowed down, but still lead the group at a steady pace.

"You mean Mr. L?" Tippi asked.

Mario nodded. "Yeah...He looked familiar."

"I thought so too," Peach agreed. "He kind of looked like someone we know."

"Like...Luigi. He even sounded like him."

"Luigi?" Tippi wondered.

"He's my younger brother. Well, technically he's my twin because I'm only five minutes older than him," Mario explained. "I haven't seen him since this mess began." The man in red looked to the other two heroes. "What about you? Have either of you seen him?'

Peach and Bowser shook their heads. "Not since the wedding." The princess's eyes widened as a realization struck her. "You don't think that man was...?"

For a moment, everything was still. Mario stopped walking, the thought striking him like a slap to the face. Luigi and Mr. L had the same face, same voice, same movements. Could his kind little brother be hiding somewhere beneath all the harsh tones and sarcasm?

Then he remembered the eyes. Silver. Sky blue. They were both so different. There was no way they could be the same.

Mario shook his head. "It's possible they kidnapped him, but there's no way my brother would do those things. He doesn't know how to build machines and he would never hurt me like that. Not ever."

"It's possible that they found a guy who looked like Luigi and trained him to fight us," Bowser muttered. "I've had Magikoopas disguise as my enemy's loved ones to reel them in. Either that, or it could be that spider girl you told me about, but posing as a Luigi look-alike to trick you."

Mario stroked his chin. "Well...Maybe..."

"Showed up at last, did yeh?" A voice said. O'Chunks leaped down from the sky. "GRA-BLAGHY! I've not been made teh wait like this since that fine lass stood me up long, long ago! Yeh did this to break my concentration, didn't yeh? Yeh likes the cheatin', eh? Sorry teh disappoint yeh! Yeh think I'd fall for a bush-league move like that!?"

Tippi sighed. "Oh, I'm afraid this fellow is terribly misguided..."

O'Chunks growled. "Bargle-fargle! 'Misguided?' That's not even a real word, yeh squishy bug! Quit yer yappin' now! It's time fer us to settle this once an' fer all!"

Bowser rolled his eyes. "Hey, O'Fatty! Take it easy! You're gonna blow our your beard, pal. Seriously. Listen, babbling is not gonna save you. You need stomping. And I'm a stompologist!"

The Scotsman furrowed his thick brows. "A stomp-'EY! SHUT IT! Don't yeh go tryin' to be witter than me, yeh frog! YEH MUST PAY!"

"Salutations, O'Chunks!" A new voice said. Within a few seconds, Dimentio appeared with his usual devious smile.

The koopa king blinked a few times. "Hey, aren't you-?"

Mario frowned. "Dimentio..."

"Ah, once again we meet, like two angry, burly dinosaurs with terrible indigestion!"

O'Chunks turned with annoyance. "What d'yeh want, Dimentio!? I don't be needin' any help! Yeh'll just get in the way!"

"Ah, a quadrillion pardons!" Dimentio said with a bow. "Far be it from me to be a hindrance! Far, far be it! As it happens, I merely have an acquaintance in this land! I was just saying hello!" Then again, one of the lead Floro Sapiens wasn't much of an acquaintance. Not that it mattered anyway.

"Saying hello, eh?"

Dimentio nodded. "Yes, truly! And I saw you, and I thought, 'Perhaps my magic can aid in this fight!'" With that, Dimentio transported his supposed friend and the heroes to Dimension D, knowing very well who would win. He chuckled. "Ah, rest assured, I'll hardly be underfoot! You fight to your heart's content! _Ciao!_ " The magician made it appear that he left, but he only turned himself invisible. He didn't want to miss this.

O'Chunks laughed. "Wuh...That doesn't sound too bad, I guess. Maybe I misunderstood that weirdo. Well, anyway, you lot are in fer it now! Meet the new-an'-improved O'Chunks!" The typical fight ensued. O'Chunks tired to grab Mario first, but Bowser got in the way with his fire. The Scotsman quickly turned his attention to the latter. He growled. "I'll make koopa broth outta yeh, yeh smart-mouthed turtle!"

The koopa king laughed. "How original! Alright, why don't you come and try!?"

O'Chunks ran towards him. Bowser deflected most of his attacks with a new pixel that created sharp barriers. Though O'Chunks moaned with pain when he was hit with them, they hardly stopped him. Their damage couldn't amount to much. "Is that all yeh got, wee froggie?"

"Trust me; you haven't seen the worst of it yet!"

"Now, Bowser," Mario began. "You should be-"

The koopa king jerked his head towards him. "Don't tell me what to do, plumber! I've got this!"

Bowser tried to use the barrier pixel again, but missed the timing. O'Chunks pushed Bowser, who slammed to the ground. The Scotsman grabbed his legs and spun him around. When he let go, Bowser bounced all over the walls. Dimentio created a force field around himself. Peach pulled out her parasol and made Mario take cover with her.

The ferocious king groaned when he hit the floor. Peach put her parasol back and sighed. Mario frowned. "...Careful."

"Hey, shut up! It was your fault! You messed up my timing!"

O'Chunks laughed and turned his attention to Mario. "What's that, Maria? Ready for a round two, I see!" With that, he charged towards him. Peach got in the way, leaping on his head with the sharp bottoms of her heels. O'Chunks cried out.

Mario used this opportunity to present the hand-shaped pixel. "Go for it, Thoreau!"

"With pleasure, hero!" Thoreau grabbed O'Chunks, lifting him into the air and throwing him to the ground. He landed with a heavy _THUD!_ O'Chunks moaned and Mario stomped on his head.

The Scotsman glared. "Alright, lads and lass! Yer in fer it now!"

Bowser came forward and blew fire in his direction, sending scorching flames. O'Chunks yelped and leaped into the air in a comedic fashion, nearly crashing into the ceiling. The koopa king huffed. "I thought I told that green pipsqueak of yours already; _I'm_ the only one who gets to mess with Mario!"

For a moment, O'Chunks forgot about the pain. "Green pipsqueak? Yeh mean-?" Taking advantage of the distraction, Bowser stomped on his head two more times.

With that, O'Chunks crashed to the ground, tired and defeated. "BLARGH IT ALL! Bad enough that yeh beat me once, but twice is too much teh bear! How can I show me face teh the count now, eh? I CAN'T! Put me out o' me misery!"

Bowser laughed. "Good idea!"

Peach frowned. "Bowser."

"What?" He said with a shrug.

"Get on with it! I'm serious! I have no regrets." He hesitated. "Well...No...Perhaps I do regret not confessin' me love teh that sweet lass..." Nastasia. How he loved her, despite her being oblivious to his feelings. Then again, maybe she would already know if it weren't for her infatuation with the Count.

O'Chunks shook his head in anger. "BUT NO! That's no way fer a brave warrior teh talk when 'is time comes 'round at last! So...Do it! Now! Now! Finish me! End me game!"

Just then, Dimentio made himself uninvisible. "Well, salutations, O'Chunks! How are things, hmm?"

O'Chunks frowned. "D-Dimentio! Look, honestly, this is kind o' important! How 'bout some privacy, eh?"

Dimentio smirked. "Yes, yes, of course. I understand. Your honor must be satisfied. But, O'Chunks...Before you let your game be over, humor poor little me for a bit. I have something I rather think you'll enjoy. I _do_ wish you would try it out for me." He knew he was being crude, especially since O'Chunks was suicidal at the moment, but he needed a test subject for the floro sprout. If Mr. L chose not to join him, he couldn't try it on him and get failed results.

"YEH CRAZED LOON! It's not the time fer-"

"Oh, it's not the time, hmm? Not the time for something that will aid Count Bleck?"

The Scotsman frowned and stroked his chin. "Oh...Fer the count, eh? Well, that do change a thing or two. Hmmm...Fine then!" He turned to the heroes. "You lot! Yeh took enough of a beatin' fer today, so I'll let you off easy-like! I tell you this, though: yeh better work on yer skills by the next time we meet!'

"Wait, what about all that drivel about not showing your face to the Count and such?" Tippi asked.

"'EY! SHUT IT! I live fer the count! I couldn't end me game without 'is say-so! Me heart is weak, sure, so I'm done with it! From now on, I'm all brawn, no brain! The past be nothin' teh me! All that matters is Count Bleck's future! All fer 'im! Chunks away!"

With that, he launched into the sky using his classic...Fart technique. The others stared with confusion.

Dimentio laughed. "Ah, it is time to part... _Ciao!"_ With that, he teleported away.

"Man...What a crybaby!" Bowser muttered.

Meanwhile, deep in the underground of the village, Dimentio appeared. He looked around, then sighed. After snapping his fingers, O'Chunks appeared almost out of nowhere, smacking his head into the dirt ceiling. "OW! What teh-?

"Hello, O'Chunks. Glad you could make it."

The Scotsman looked around, then frowned. "What? We're tryin' your thingamajig now?"

"But of course! That is...Unless you don't want to help the Count."

The muscle man shook his head. "No, Dimentio! I do want teh help the Count! I just...Uh...Thought we were going back first."

The magician shook his head. "Don't be silly. Time is of the essence." As true as that statement was, Dimentio almost wished they could head back first. Mr. L had to have been waiting for him. Either that, or he was repulsed by the jester's bold behavior. If so, he couldn't blame him. He...

Dimentio wanted to hit himself. Why did it matter what Mr. L thought? He was a component to this plan, yes, but nothing more. It didn't matter how either of them felt. "Now, we'll just have to meet with a friend of mine and you can get another chance with those wretched heroes. Follow me, my friend."

Uncertain and somewhat apprehensive, O'Chunks followed Dimentio through the underground tunnels.

* * *

 _This one is a bit similar in structure to Chapter 2, but I hope that's not too much of a problem. We got a bit more development when it comes to Mr. L's dreams/memories. It seems that he first met a certain princess this way, though sadly, she won't be much more than an illusion in this story. (SBG excels in that department.) We also got more of_ _his friendship with Mimi. He seems uncertain now, but how much will he truly fall for Dimentio? Is the jester starting to care for him? Will O'Chunks ever stop farting away from danger?_

 _Also, yes, I do see Mario stopping and thinking about Luigi during this whole thing. As much as some people think he's a shit brother, he loves his little bro. Don't worry, Mario. You won't have to wait too long to see him again._

 _Also, also, I gave up on the K+ rating, mainly because I see Mr. L and Dimentio getting intimate later and it's hard to justify that in a kid's fic, so...Plus, L curses. It's kinda his thing in these stories._

 _-Colorful and Free_


	7. Roses and Sprouts

_I'm surprised you guys didn't say anything about the Spongebob reference from last chapter. Oh well. I like to sneak in references just to make it funny. ;)_

* * *

After at least half an hour of walking through the underground tunnels, O'Chunks started to get impatient. "How much longer teh go, Dimentio?"

"We're almost there." He grinned upon seeing a green warp pipe. "Ah, here we are. All we have to do is go down the-"

"Aberdeen butteries! How am I s'pposed teh fit down there!?

Dimentio frowned. "Ah, that's right. You are rather...Big-boned. Well, I'll teleport you. Wait here for a second." After going down the warp pipe, Dimentio twirled his finger and shot a burst of magic. O'Chunks appeared at his side. Dimentio nodded, satisfied, and stroked his chin. "Hmm...He said that he'd meet us here."

O'Chunks looked around. "So, if yeh don't mind me askin'...Who's we meeting?"

"His name is Jarred. He's one of the head Floro Sapiens. He's also in charge of distributing strength-enhancers for the workers down here."

The Scotsman let that sink in. He grinned. "Strength-enhancing, ey? I like teh sound o' that!"

Dimentio chuckled. He neglected to mention that the workers were actually Cragnon slaves and the "strength-enhancer" would mostly make O'Chunks a vegetable. Then again, the floro sprout may have some strength-enhancing qualities. Dimentio wasn't sure. That was why he had to test it out.

Just then, a floro sapien popped out of the tube Dimentio that just used. He had purple petals and a plain black face. He looked around, waiting for someone.

Dimentio grinned. "I believe there's our man now."

The jester went up to the floro sapien. The flower creature nodded at them, but he had suspicion written all over his face. "Hello. Who are you?"

Dimentio bowed. "Hello, Jarred."

The floro sapien jumped. "How do you know my name?"

The magician floated to his side. "Well, Jarred, I wish I could say, but the pollution is corrupting our water."

Jarred's face lit up, as if a light bulb switched on in his head. That was the key phrase he planted in his mind. "Ah, Dimentio. We've been expecting you. Remind me what you do for King Crocus?"

Dimentio chuckled. It was easy to make these creatures think he belonged here. All he had to do was cast a few spells and he was in. "I am one of his new hires. He instructed me to pick up a delivery of floro sprouts for the...Workers down here."

Jarred glanced at O'Chunks. "And who are you supposed to be?"

The warrior frowned, somewhat offended. "O'Chunks is me name. I'm with him."

"He is my right hand man," Dimentio explained. "So, can you show me where you keep the floro sprouts?"

Jarred nodded. "They're right this way. Follow me."

After leading him to the king's palace, they went into a special room. The room had white walls and gray tiled flooring. One wall had a whiteboard with complex equations written on it while the rest of the walls were covered in cabinets. In the back of the room, there was a table with some test tubes on it. There were also many chemicals as well as a box on the table. Jarred grabbed the box and handed it to Dimentio. "Here you are. 10 floro sprouts. Be sure to use them wisely. These things aren't easy to make."

"Thank you, Jarred," Dimentio said.

"No problem. If you don't mind me asking...How long have you worked for the king? I haven't seen you around here."

"Oh, not long."

Jarred frowned. The suspicion was coming back. "Really?"

 _Oh dear. My magic must be wearing off._ _I must leave while I still have the chance._ "Well, I wish I could stay and chat, but I really have to get going. _Ciao_ , Jarred!"

"Wait a minute. I'm not-"

Before he could finish, Dimentio and O'Chunks were gone with the floro sprouts. O'Chunks grinned. "Well, t'was shorter than I thought."

"See? You have to trust me. I've always believed that trust is the glue that holds us fragile beings together."

"I guess yer right. Come on."

The two continued on their path. Halfway through, Dimentio kept thinking back to Mr. L. The jester sighed in frustration. Just when he thought that that damn mechanic was out of his head, he came back with twice the force. The magician pondered what to do. He could survive being away from him awhile longer, or...

O'Chunks turned to Dimentio. "Somethin' on yer mind?"

Dimentio spoke without thinking. "There's some matters I must attend to back at the castle."

His eyes widened. "Wait...What? How am I s'pposed teh know where teh go if yer not here!?

Dimentio snapped his fingers and a map of the cavern materialized. He handed it to O'Chunks. "Here's a map."

"But I don't understand this one bit!"

Dimentio sighed and pointed to the red circle on the map. "We're here," He pointed towards the X. "We want to go there. Just follow the benchmarks here and you should be fine."

"When will you be back?"

"In a moment. Don't you worry your little head about it."

O'Chunks hesitated. "Can yeh at least tell me what yeh have teh do?"

"I need to..." The magician paused to think. "To talk to the Count. He will want a report on how things are progressing. He's trusting me to be there and you to make your way through this maze, though I use that term quite loosely. Can you do that?"

The determination from earlier came back. O'Chunks grinned. "Fer teh Count? Anything."

Dimentio nodded. "Good man. I'll return soon, like a frost-covered rose after a long winter's end. _Ciao!"_ He snapped his fingers and teleported back to the castle, leaving O'Chunks alone with the map.

* * *

Dimentio teleported to a window on the fourth floor of the castle. Using his magic to float, the magician peered inside and smiled at what he saw. Mr. L was reading a book in bed. He was obviously thinking hard; he had a crease in his forehead and was chewing his lips again.

The jester chuckled and decided to surprise him. He opened the window and floated inside. "Hello, L."

Mr. L didn't look up at first. "Hey, Dimentio." A few seconds later, his eyes nearly popped out of his sockets. He put down his book and stood, inching back towards the wall. "D-Dimentio!?

"Yes. It is I, appearing like a rabbit pulled out of the magician's hat. How are you, darling?"

"I, uh..." Mr. L shook his head. "How long have you been back?"

"Only a few minutes."

A small smile crept onto his face. "You know that Nastasia is gonna come in here and yell at you any minute now, right?"

Dimentio appeared by his side. "Nastasia doesn't have to know I'm here."

Mr. L looked around. "Where's O'Chunks? Isn't he with you?"

"He's with the heroes. I promised that I would help him in his next duel if he agreed to try something out for me."

The man in green smirked. "Oh yeah? And what is that something?"

The jester chuckled and poked his large, round nose. "That is for me to know and you to find out. Stop asking so many questions. I don't have long here, and I want to spend as much time with you as I can."

He raised an eyebrow. "If you're gonna go back to O'Chunks anyway, then why bother coming back here and risk punishment?"

"I wanted to see you. Besides, I'm not too worried about Nastasia. Give her some time to cool down and she'll let me off the hook. Come on. Get dressed."

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere with just the two of us."

Mr. L chuckled. "Is this your way of asking me out?"

Dimentio grinned. "You caught me."

The Green Thunder looked to the side. "I don't know. It is getting pretty late."

"Please? If you want, I can tell you a bit more about your past."

The man in green thought about it. "This is a bit sudden, but...Alright. Just give me some time to change."

After Mr. L put on a black shirt and a pair of worn down jeans, Dimentio grabbed his hands. "Good. Now, close your eyes." Mr. L shut his eyes. Dimentio teleported him to Dimension D. "Now open them."

He did so, looking around. "What is this place?"

"Well, I like to call it Dimension D, but it can be wherever you want it to be." Suddenly, the room changed into a familiar black room with white platforms. The meeting room. However, before Mr. L had time to process it, the room changed into the Whoa Zone. Next, it was pure white with nothing filling the empty space. After that, it returned to the default green room. All of this happened in five seconds at most. "So...Where would you like to go?"

The mechanic stroked his chin. "Hmm...I'm not sure. I haven't really thought about that."

Dimentio moved closer to him and put his hand on his forehead. "Mind if I read your memories?"

Mr. L's eyes widened. "W-What? You mean...Like mind-reading!?

"Not quite. Mind-reading is reading your present thoughts. This is different. I'm just taking a quick peek into your subconscious to see what you would like most."

He hesitated. "Will it hurt?"

"You won't feel a thing, and it will only last for a few seconds."

Mr. L sighed. "Okay...But if you bring up any of my secrets, I will personally beat the living shit out of you."

"Seems reasonable." He closed his eyes and his hand became bright green. Dimentio saw a vision of an elegant ballroom. There was a girl in a yellow dress there, but Dimentio would leave that part out. He grinned, then took his hand off of his forehead. "Alright, close your eyes again." Mr. L hesitated, but did as he was asked. The magician changed the green room to look like the one he saw in his vision. "Now open them."

Mr. L opened his eyes and gasped. They were currently standing in the center of the ballroom. Shadows were moving all around them, their silhouettes dark and yet slightly transparent at the same time.

Dimentio floated to his side. "Well?"

The man in green looked down at himself. He was now dressed in a black tuxedo and a green bowtie. "This place..." He whispered. Looking back up at Dimentio, he continued, "It's straight from one of my dreams."

Dimentio grinned and snapped his fingers. _POOF!_ He disappeared behind a cloud of dust. Mr. L coughed. When the smoke cleared, Dimentio looked different...And yet the same. He was in a more humanized form, but had the same aura as usual. His hair was dark on one side and white on the other. His face was also covered by his typical mask. The dark hair was on the white side of his mask and vice versa. Dimentio also wore a violet tuxedo and a black bowtie.

Mr. L stepped back. "W-What!? Since when did you have the power to transform!?"

The magician laughed. "Relax, Mr. L. This form is an illusion, as is the rest of this place. It's not like our dear Mimi's transformation powers. This is only temporary. Besides, I can only do so much with magic while Mimi can be anyone she wants. This only makes things easier for us."

"I see..."

Dimentio held his hand out. "May I have this dance, Mr. L?" The man in green shuddered. He stepped back, hesitating. The jester grinned. "What's the matter? Is the great Green Thunder going sensible on me?"

After a moment of silence, he shook his head. "Of course not." Mr. L took Dimentio's hand. The two started out by doing a slow waltz together. "So, why did you bring me here? Of all places?"

"I thought we needed a chance to establish a connection. Don't ask me why we're here; you picked the place."

The man in green chuckled. "Well...Earlier today, Mimi mentioned dinner, dancing, and the moon. We at least got the second part down."

Dimentio smirked. "Yes, indeed. So, have you thought about our deal any further?"

Mr. L nodded. "I have, actually."

"And Mimi knows about us."

"Yes, I told her how you feel about me. She thinks we're a couple now."

"Understandable. That's what most would assume anyway."

"I suppose." Mr. L took a deep breath. "I've thought about it and I've decided to take you up on your offer. I will provide whatever you ask of me, as long as you provide information in return."

The magician smiled, nodding. "Good. I knew you would. You come across as a strategic young fellow."

"Strategic, huh?"

"You think before doing, at least most of the time."

The man in green nodded and got closer to Dimentio. The jester grabbed his hands and guided him through the small steps, making sure to keep his arm around him. After that, Dimentio took a break to twirl Mr. L around.

Once he brought him closer to him, Mr. L added, "Of course, I do have my limits and I expect an equal amount of information in return. For example, I'm not going to sleep with you just so I can learn what my best friend's name was in kindergarten. I want relevant information." After a few seconds, he blushed, realizing what he just implied. "It's not like I'll sleep with you anyway, but...You know.."

Dimentio laughed. "You're so adorable."

Mr. L frowned. "Dimentio, be honest. Are you trying to mess with me?"

"I already told you I'm not."

"I'm not quite sure I believe you."

"Is that right? Well, does this prove my love for you?" With that, he kissed him on the mouth. It was more gentle than last time.

After the kiss, Mr. L stepped back. He was blushing even more than he was before. "Y-You owe me for that..."

The magician laughed. "It's interesting. One second, you're telling me you'd take the fair Princess Peach on a date if you had the chance. However, the second I mention how I feel about you, you hesitate."

"Well, I prefer women, so naturally I would be more quick to go out with one."

"That's your excuse? Alright then."

He glared. "It's not an excuse!"

"Whatever you say, L."

Mr. L pouted. "So...I'm giving you a dance. What information do you have to offer me in return?"

"Well, that depends. What do you want to know?"

He shrugged. "Who I am, I guess."

"You are Mr. L," Dimentio replied.

The Green Thunder glared. "I know that!" After a few seconds, he hesitated. "Well, actually, I don't even know if that's true. Is it?"

Dimentio twirled him around again. "That depends on how you look at it. On one hand, you are, and on the other, you're not."

"Stop being cryptic. Do I have a name? Or a family? Or anything?"

He brought him down in a dip. It looked like Dimentio was about to kiss him, but he didn't make any further movements. Instead, he held his chin up and whispered, "I'll give you a hint. Your name starts with the letter L."

After being brought back up, Mr. L muttered, "I could've figured that out." He shook his head. "Alright...What kind of family do I have? Are my parents okay? Or was I raised by a single parent? Or was I adopted? Am I an orphan? Do I have siblings?"

Dimentio chuckled. "Wait your turn. Hmm...Parents and siblings. Well, let me set the scene for you."

Suddenly, he covered Mr. L's eyes with his hand. He cried out. "H-Hey! What are you-?"

 _A small family. A man and a woman. Two sons. All in a prominent neighborhood._ The jester nodded and took his hands off. He needed to get a sample of his memories to make this look right.

With a wave of his hand, a forest green silhouette of a boy appeared. "Picture a young boy in green. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his parents and brother." He made more silhouettes. One of them was another boy, only his silhouette was bright red. The other two were a man and woman. The man's silhouette came in crimson while the woman was spring green. Mr. L was partially hypnotized by their captivating auras: so warm and familiar, yet so far.

Dimentio explained the silhouettes. "His family is poor, so both parents have to work. Their father, Marco, is a plumber and carpenter. Most remember him for his kind smile and enthusiasm. Only his wife and a select few know who he really is: a dreamer, adventurer, and writer who once visited another dimension."

"This dimension?"

"No, but a nearby one. The Mushroom Kingdom, to be exact." The magician turned his attention to the woman. "Their mother, Lilian, is a waitress at a local restaurant who dreams of having her own pizzeria. She is a lovely young thing. She's American, but she speaks Italian as well. Marco is native Italian."

"...And the brother?"

"A loud, bright adventurer, like his father. We shall call him the boy in red. The boy in green takes after his mother, shy and sweet. Despite their clashing personalities, the two siblings are inseparable."

Mr. L nodded. Yes, all of this sounded right. "And what's his name?"

Dimentio hesitated. "I can't tell you that either."

The man in green frowned. As he jerked towards Dimentio, the silhouettes disappeared. "Why are you holding back? We had a deal, didn't we!?"

"There's only so much I can tell you." _That is, without breaking Nastasia's hypnotism completely._

Mr. L pouted and crossed his arms. "There's a lot you're keeping from me."

Dimentio sighed. He pulled Mr. L closer to him and tried to make him look at him. He kept his head in another direction stubbornly. Dimentio went back to leading him in a waltz. "I'm being generous as it is, my dear. Also, this bit is not well known, but the boys were born in wedlock."

He frowned. "So I'm a bastard. Great."

"Worry not. Marco and Lily married shortly after having their sons."

Mr. L hesitated. "Are they both alive?"

"Yes."

"And my brother?"

Dimentio didn't hesitate. "Most definitely alive."

Though there wasn't much doubt left in Mr. L's mind, he muttered, "I hope you're not lying."

Dimentio chuckled. "To you? Never." He leaned forward and gave him another sweet kiss.

The man in green bit his lip again. "Why do you like me so much?"

"That's an easy one." The magician gave him one last twirl. "I know who you really are. You have the heart of a Nimbi and the spirit of an adventurer. You are determined, humble, and kind. You sometimes feel severely underrated, and I suppose this has translated into over confidence now."

He brought Mr. L closer again and the two stared face to face. Mr. L glanced down. "Who I really am..." He drifted off, closing his eyes.

When he opened them again, Dimentio gasped. No, no, no. It was too soon for those eyes. Those painfully blue eyes.

He blinked a few times. He stared at his dance partner with confusion and traces of fear. "Who...?"

Without thinking, Dimentio leaned forward and kissed him hastily. Stepping back, he waited. The man in green blinked a few times. He rubbed his head, silver eyes gleaming in confusion. "What happened?" Mr. L asked.

Dimentio forced a smile. "Oh, nothing. Just taking my payment." _Dear, Jaydes. That was Luigi just now, wasn't it? I wanted to tease him, not bring him back!_ _I need to be careful..._

Mr. L shook his head, smiling apologetically. Even though his eyes were back to normal, Dimentio still saw Luigi staring back at him. "I'm sorry...I don't really remember what you were saying just now. Could you please repeat it?"

That was too polite to be Mr. L, at least a hundred percent. The jester grabbed his hands. "Perhaps it's time we get going, then."

With those simple words, the illusion faded. Dimentio turned back into his normal self. Dimension D stood in its place. Mr. L looked around, worry in his eyes. "What? But...I..."

"Don't worry. We will surely return sometime, but for now, you need to get to bed and I need to go back to O'Chunks."

The man in green hesitated. "Will you be gone long?"

Dimentio shook his head. "No. Now come on." He took his hands gently and teleported back to Mr. L's room. The latter looked around, disappointed at his plain surroundings, but didn't say anything.

"Get a good night's sleep, alright? Don't worry about me. I shall return quickly, like a-"

"Wait!" Mr. L shouted, louder than he intended. He stared at the floor and lowered his voice. "Before you go...I want proof this actually happened and isn't some bizarre dream. I mean, it feels real now, but I might try to dismiss it in the morning."

"I see. Hmm..." Dimentio nodded. He knew what to do. Using more of his magic, he made a rose appear out of thin air and handed it to Mr. L. "For you, my dear."

Mr. L grinned. "It's lovely, but...Is it going to last until morning?"

"You're right. You need something more memorable to go along with it." Dimentio planted a kiss on his forehead. The man in green stared back at him, not even bothering to hide his blush. Dimentio laughed. " _Ciao,_ Mr. L."

With that, he disappeared. Mr. L sighed, then got in bed reluctantly. He buried his face in the pillow and let out another loud groan.

* * *

 _The name Jarred actually means 'rose' in Hebrew. I wanted a flowery name for a Floro Sapien._

 _No, Mr. L, you and Dimentio won't be sleeping with one another...At least, not anytime soon. ;)_

 _I hope you guys enjoyed this. I wanted to try writing a chapter in Dimentio's POV. I also hope that the change from getting floro sprouts to going on a romantic date didn't come across as forced. I was experimenting with including a more humanized Dimentio because if he was his normal height, it would make dancing kinda awkward. Plus, I read through this quickly so I could post it today, so feel free to point out any errors and I'll correct them as soon as I can. :)_

 _Also, according to the Mario wiki, Mario and Luigi most likely grew up in Flatbush. I'm not sure if that's a prominent neighborhood or not since I don't live anywhere near Brooklyn, but whatever. I tried._

 _-Colorful and Free_


	8. Pure Confusion

_Warning: A bit of homophobia in this chapter, just to make things interesting. ;)_

 _Also, the characters use some bisexual stereotypes in this. I don't believe this personally; it's just what I think the characters would say._

* * *

When Dimentio returned, the last thing he thought he would find was O'Chunks, waiting for him. But there was. He didn't look that happy either. "There you are! What took yeh so long!?"

Dimentio blinked. "Reporting to the Count, remember?"

O'Chunks narrowed his eyes. "Yes, that's what I thought at first, but something tells meh ye were pulling pranks on teh others. Or something akin to that. What were yeh really up to?"

The jester sighed. Lying got draining after a while. "I thought I told you to trust me, O'Chunks. Come along." Still eyeing him with suspicion, O'Chunks followed Dimentio. They stopped in one room to talk about how to move forward with the heroes.

At one point, though, O'Chunks changed the subject. "Do yeh think...Nastasia will be proud once I bring teh heroes down?"

Dimentio raised an eyebrow. "Why do you seek Nastasia's approval?" As the jester saw it, O'Chunks was only devoted to one person and that was it. However, when he stared at the ground silently, Dimentio realized this wasn't true. The slight reddening of the Scotsman's cheeks only confirmed the truth. He nodded slowly. "Ah, I see. Well, I'm sure she will."

There was a moment of silence. "Dimentio?"

"Yes, my slow friend?"

O'Chunks ignored that insult. "What's going on between yeh and L? Tell meh the truth." He didn't sound like he was accusing anyone. Instead, he genuinely wanted to know what was going on.

"You shouldn't worry about petty drama. It makes you sound childish." That didn't satisfy O'Chunks. So, he added casually, "He's fallen in love with me."

The Scotsman gasped. _"What!?"_

"Yes, apparently he's a flaming homosexual." Dimentio answered, as if talking about the weather.

"No, he's not! I know Mr. L!" O'Chunks spat.

The magician sighed. "Honestly, I'm not completely sure what he is either. Sexually speaking anyway. One minute, he says he would have sex with a woman if given the chance and the next he's so enthusiastic about trying men on. I think he's hopelessly confused. That's my theory. Mimi is only enabling him, of course. Said she's always wanted a gay best friend."

For a moment, Dimentio felt ashamed. Not because he was talking about Mr. L in this way behind his back, but because Dimentio even flirted with him in the first place. How far was he willing to go?

O'Chunks was still in disbelief. "You're making that up!"

The magician shrugged. "Am I? Am I not? Who can say at this point?"

Suddenly, the Scottsman glared. "Stop with all dis joker gobbledy-gash! I want yeh to be straight with me! Are _you_ a homo too!?"

"I don't know. I've always considered myself asexual. The intimacy, the closeness of it all. It's rather sickening to me. As for romanticism..."

"I SAID STOP! With all dis nonsense. I _don't_ work with queers and I know neither of you would stoop to that level!"

Dimentio smiled. "Of course I wouldn't."

Part of what the magician said was true. He found the idea of being intimate with a woman repulsive. That was why many years ago, when an intelligent girl asked him to be hers forever, Dimentio turned her down. But he never even considered being with a man before Mr. L.

That apathetic, sneaky creature. Maybe Luigi was at least a bit humble. Not Mr. L. He thought he was on top of the world, better than anyone else. He even had the nerve to nickname Dimentio after some commoner magician. The jester wanted to see him just so he could smack him upside the head. But of course, he didn't show this. He just grinned.

That was when the three heroes emerged from a pipe in the far end of the room. Dimentio leaned in to whisper to O'Chunks, "We'll talk about this later." Then he turned to the heroes. "Ah ha ha! So! At long last, you've come to play, like late-sleeping toddlers!"

"Dimentio..." Their butterfly pixel murmured. Timpani. No, wait. She went by _Tippi_ these days. "And O'Chunks..."

O'Chunks pouted, not saying a word. Dimentio turned to their opposition. "Ah...Do you not tire of collecting those worn-out, tiresome Pure Hearts?" He said, making sure his voice was as smooth as butter. "I am not violent by nature, you know. I prefer to settle things peacefully, in fact. Say, for instance, you wished to go back to your world. I could do that for you."

Mario frowned. "Yeah, right! Like I would trust you!"

"We are NOT interested!" Tippi concurred.

Why was he not surprised? "Ah ha ha...So it must be...Shall we begin?" Suddenly, Dimension D replaced their surroundings. Dimentio had to fight to keep his smile. Summoning this dimension sucked the energy out of him. He felt light-headed all of a sudden.

"Ugh..." Tippi groaned. "Haven't you learned? No matter how often we fight, it will end the same."

"My, my, aren't you plucky? Same fight, same outcome. You are precisely correct." His eyes darted to O'Chunks. Well, he had to use this earlier than he thought, but he might as well. "And that is why..."

Suddenly, Dimentio snapped his fingers. A floro sprout materialized on O'Chunks' head. Quickly, their roots attached themselves to his brain. His willpower gone, O'Chunks became a mindless drone. Perfect. "BRO-CCOLI!"

Dimentio chuckled. "Lovely green hat, wouldn't you say?~"

"Huh!?"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Bowser chimed in, making defensive hand gestures. "I don't fight veggies!"

Dimentio laughed at that comment. "Dear O'Chunks! So strong, yet so very dim! A child could learn his attack patterns! As such, I requested a few sprouts from my acquaintance to liven him up a touch. I call the boy, O'Cabbage!" He turned to O'Chunks. "Don't be shy, O'Cabbage! Introduce yourself!"

"CAB-BAGE!" O'Cabbage cried.

"Ah ha ha...Simply adorable. Now remember, kids: eat your vegetables to grow big! Except in this case, a veggie will eat YOU! Have fun now! _Ciao!"_ Once again, Dimentio made himself invisible. This time, he didn't feel amused by the show. Instead, he watched like it was an obligation.

"AS-PARA-GUS!" O'Cabbage shouted. He did a quick spin, headed right for Mario and Peach. The princess stepped back in fear. Mario got in front of her, but it was too late. O'Cabbage's fast spin knocked both heroes down.

Bowser sneered. "Nice one."

O'Cabbage quickly turned him. He rushed to him, spun him around faster than usual, and let go. Bowser knocked into a wall, then slid onto the floor. "Ouch."

The brainwashed Scotsman's next move surprised everyone. O'Cabbage turned back to Peach, dragged her closer to him, and started kicking her. Even Dimentio gasped. Sure, O'Chunks wasn't the brightest tool in the shed, but he always went softer on women. Apparently, the floro sprout didn't care about gender.

"PEACH!" Both men cried. O'Cabbage began to turn on Mario, but the hero flipped between dimensions, trying to buy some time.

The fight went on like this for a couple more minutes. Dimentio started to worry then. What if the prophecy was wrong? What if these weren't the heroes? Then everything would fall apart. But of course, at some point, Tippi reminded them that O'Cabbage had the same attack patterns and that alone seemed to turn the tide. (Well, Peach in pain certaintly helped, as both heroes loved the princess in some way.) Everyone used Thoreau and plenty of stomps. Soon, the heroes won another battle.

O'Chunks crouched, feeling his energy fade. "Buh...Buh...BRO-CCOLI!" Dimension D fell apart. As O'Chunks grounded, the floro sprout fell out of his head. He quickly regained control of his body. "'Ey! What in gravy am I doin' in 'ere!?" He stood and brushed himself off. When he noticed Bowser, his eyes grew wide and he flinched slightly. "Huh? An' what are YOU doin' in 'ere as well?" Before any of the heroes could answer, O'Chunks spoke again. "Oh, I get the picture! You lot want teh challenge the new, improved O'Chunks! Yeh got pepper in your pants, I'll give yeh that! But this time, yeh WILL get ruined!"

Bowser groaned. "Not again..."

Luckily, they didn't have to fight once more. Just then, O'Chunks' belly growled. "Whuh-oh...Me belly's growlin' like a stravin' dog! Warrior rule number one: Never fight on an empty stomach! 'Tis madness!" He recited, just as he did a few days ago at the dining room table. "Sorry, but we've got teh call it a day! Can't go buckin' the warrior rules! Next time, though, yer DONE! Chunks away!" He saluted the enemy, then farted into the air.

Tippi flew forward, staring at the discarded sprout. "Look...The sprout on his head...It's the same as on the florified Cragnons. It looks as though it's nearly dead, however..." Bowser picked it up, observing it. "Well, what do you think? Would you care to try it on? I believe you'll be safe."

Bowser snarled. "Are you kidding? I'm no veggie!"

Mario sighed. "I can try it on." Bowser handed him the sprout. Dimentio watched closely. Mario put the sprout on and nothing happened. He was still in control of himself.

"You didn't turn into cabbage." Tippi muttered. "That's nice, I guess...This could come in handy."

With that, the heroes left together.

"Ah ha ha..." Dimentio became visible once more. "Mmm...If they could beat that model of O'Chunks, then they are coming along quite nicely! Perhaps they really are the ones I have waited for all this time." He gave another laugh, just to convince himself he was on the right track. "Ah ha ha! I should prepare myself as well! So much to do, so precious little time!"

With that, he went home. He brought O'Chunks with him to his room, but quickly regretted it. "Okay, we're alone now!" O'Chunks declared, not even bothering to show much surprise. "So, after I make myself a good meal, you're going to tell me-"

Before he could get the full sentence out, Dimentio cast a sleeping spell. O'Chunks blinked a few times, then began to fall on his back. Before he hit the ground, however, Dimentio teleported him to his bedroom. The magician stretched and yawned, still smiling. "Well, better get to bed!" With that, he fell back on his bed and used a spell to put himself to sleep.

Yes, he could wait and fall asleep on his own. But he didn't want to tonight. He would be thinking too much. Feeling too much.

And that was never a good thing.

* * *

Mr. L woke up, blinking. He was relieved that he didn't have another awful dream. He sat up and got out of bed. He saw the rose in his room and smiled. It was still nice and fresh. It was floating around in its vase, which he got shortly after Dimentio left. He yawned and went downstairs to the kitchen. It was about 10 o'clock, a somewhat reasonable balance. He jumped when he saw the magician pouring coffee into a mug. "Dimentio!"

Dimentio looked up and grinned, putting the mug down on the counter. "Well, it looks like I surprised you again without even trying to."

The man in green inched closer to the coffee machine, where Dimentio stood. "When did you get back?"

"Last night."

Mr. L looked around. "Is O'Chunks here?"

"Yes. I believe he's awake, but he's up in his room sulking. Sometimes, I forget that he was once a general. He seems so sensitive."

Mr. L blinked, but said nothing. He didn't know O'Chunks used to be a general. He'd have to ask about that later. "How did Nastasia take your insubordination?"

"It wasn't insubordination. That's too strong of a word. I believe it was more of a small instant of disobedience."

He smirked. "Well, either way, how did she take your _disobedience_?"

"She sent me to clean up the kitchen and make breakfast, but that was it."

Mr. L shrugged and got a mug from the cupboard. "Huh. I guess you were right about her letting you off the hook."

Dimentio nodded and floated up to him, touching his shoulder lightly. "So, what do you say we go on another outing?"

"Now?" He asked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Not right this second. Maybe later tonight."

Mr. L nodded. "Good. I can't right now. I should be getting to work on Brobot."

"You're always working," Dimentio said. "Why don't you take a break every once in awhile?" With that, he planted a kiss on his neck.

The man in green laughed and turned to kiss him back. He didn't feel like asking for anything, so he chose not to mention it. "I can't afford to lounge around doing nothing. I want to help the Count in any way possible."

Dimentio's smile faltered. "Alright. How about I come and watch again? I'll try not to make too much of a disturbance."

Mr. L shrugged. "As long as you're not distracting me." He pressed some buttons on the coffee machine and watched the brown liquid spill into his drink. He didn't feel like adding much, so he just poured some milk in and left it at that. With that, he started to leave the room. Before he could, Dimentio grabbed his shoulder. Mr. L turned, having a look on his face that said, _What now?_

"Aren't you going to eat?" The magician asked.

The man in green sighed, then opened the fridge and took out an apple. He took a bite out of it and proceeded to go in the garage. After crossing the back and entering the garage code, Mr. L walked in the garage with Dimentio right behind him. He got out his tools and started working on his machine.

Dimentio watched silently, not bothering to crack a lot of jokes or poke fun at his new spouse. The metal scaffolding was complete along with its large yellow eyes. "You're making a lot of progress in such a short amount of time."

"Hey, I try," He muttered. Mr. L held out his hand. "Screwdriver, please." Dimentio handed him the screwdriver. The man in green thanked him and continued working. He was currently making a new nose for his machine, screwing some bolts into the new piece.

"So, if I may ask," Dimentio began. "Why do you insist on calling this machine your brother? Do mechanics feel this attached to their creations?"

Mr. L grinned. "I guess it is a bit strange to an outsider, huh?"

"Just a bit," The magician admitted.

The mechanic turned back to his machine, sighing. "Normally, mechanics are proud of their creations, like I am, but they don't attach themselves to them in the same way I do. I may not seem aware of it, but I am. I chose to do this." He took a deep breath before continuing. "You see, Mimi and I were talking one day and I was telling her that I wanted a way to stand out from everyone else. She suggested building a giant robot to crush the heroes. That was all I was doing at first."

"Then...When I had dreams of a little boy, who I now know is my real bro, I felt really lonely all of a sudden. It was the kind of loneliness that friends can't cure. So, I made up for it by calling my creation a robot brother. Hence, Brobot," He explained, gesturing to the metal scaffolding.

"That's actually quite tragic."

Mr. L shrugged. "Hey, it's no big deal. If I can't have my real bro with me right now, then at least I can have my metal one! Isn't that right, bro?" With that, he grabbed a remote laying on the table and pressed a large red button. Brobot's eyes twitched with light, but didn't do much else. Dimentio chuckled. Mr. L jerked towards the magician. "He's a work in progress! Leave him alone!"

Just then, Mimi walked into the garage. "Hey, guys."

"Hey, Arachne," Mr. L greeted.

Dimentio raised an eyebrow. "Where did you get that strange nickname from anyway?"

Mr. L glanced towards Dimentio. "Haven't you ever read the Greek classics?"

"Yeah! What he said!" Mimi chimed in. "Read his inter-dimensional stuff!"

The man in green turned back towards Mimi. "Anyway...How are you doing?"

"I'm alright. Did you hear that O'Chunks came back?"

The man in green nodded. "I figured. How's he doing?"

She frowned. "Not so good. Nassy's got a really strange punishment for him too."

"What is it?"

Mimi shrugged. "I don't know. Ask him yourself."

Mr. L nodded slowly. Mimi must have heard about it from the servants' chatter, not knowing much herself. He turned to Brobot. "I'll be right back, bro." He patted the metal scaffolding, then started to leave.

Mimi chuckled. Mr. L shot her a glare. She turned away, pretending to be innocent. The man in green rolled his eyes and left. As soon as Mr. L was gone, Mimi went back to chuckling. "He still insists on calling this thing his brother?"

"Apparently so," Dimentio replied.

Mimi laughed. "L's so weird."

Dimentio nodded. "Yes...Yes he is."

* * *

Meanwhile, Mr. L went outside. He walked around the castle, keeping his eyes peeled for O'Chunks. He found him in the back of the castle, sulking. "Hey."

O'Chunks turned. Surprisingly, he scoffed at him and turned his back towards him. "What do yeh want?"

Mr. L sat down with O'Chunks. "I heard what happened. That's rough."

The Scotsman glared. "Rough!? The lass wants me to write a song for teh Count and sing it one thousand times! And right when I was about teh confess too..."

The mechanic furrowed his brows. "Wait. If you're supposed to sing a song a thousand times, why aren't you singing right now?"

"Ugh...I'm still working on teh chorus."

"Maybe she doesn't return your feelings. You might want to start looking elsewhere."

"Don't say that 'bout Nastasia!" O'Chunks shouted. Quietly, he added, "There's still a chance..."

The man in green stood, walking further out. "Hmm. You look like you could use a pick-me-up. You know what I do when I'm upset?"

O'Chunks stared at him. "Build that metal contraption o' yours?" He asked flatly.

"No." After a few seconds, he quickly added, "Well, yes, but you know what else?"

"What?"

Mr. L turned one hand into a fist and slammed it into the other. "I kick some ass!" He patted O'Chunks on the back. "Come on! Let's do some sparing!"

O'Chunks groaned. "I'm _not_ in a sparing mood."

"Come on! I heard you were once a proud general and now you're reduced to whining whenever you lose a battle?"

O'Chunks' eyes widened. "Who told yeh that?"

The mechanic smirked. "No one important."

O'Chunks frowned. "T'was Dimentio, wasn't it? I don't like yeh hanging around that lad...He's makin' yeh just as sneaky as 'im!"

"You've noticed us together?" Stiffly, the Scotsman nodded. Mr. L figured he must have known about their relationship by now. He shrugged. "Well, when two people spend some time together, they naturally influence one another."

The strongman huffed. "Well, anyway...Yer not one teh talk! Yeh ranted and raved for two whole days after losin' to Maria!"

Mr. L rolled his eyes. "It's _Mario,_ O'Chunks. Not Maria. Anyway, the heroes are a rather sensitive subject for me, especially the red one."

"Why especially the red one? That koopa is probably the worst."

"Exactly! Get angry! Act like they're here!"

O'Chunks frowned. He didn't move from his spot. Mr. L cupped his hands around his mouth. "Hey, fat guy! Your beef and Brussels Sprout stew is the worst and you whine all the time! Whine, whine, whine~!"

O'Chunks glared. He stood, fists clenched. "Hey! You take back what you said about me mum's stew! It was her recipe!"

Mr. L smirked. "Well, she obviously wasn't very good at cooking then."

O'Chunks growled. "Nobody talks about me mum like that and gets away with it!" He launched towards Mr. L. The latter's smile grew. O'Chunks tried to land a punch, but Mr. L stepped back. The Scotsman tried again. The man in green dodged the punch, then leapt and jumped on O'Chunks' head twice.

The muscle man cried out and pouted. Then he thought of something. He smiled. Slowly, he said, "Yer usin' teh same moves as those heroes. Maybe yeh should be with 'em instead."

Mr. L frowned, genuinely offended. He clenched his fists. "Don't you dare compare me with those heroes! I am the Green Thunder!"

O'Chunks shrugged. "That doesn't seem to mean much to them."

"You wanna go, big guy?"

O'Chunks cracked his knuckles. "I thought that's what we were doing, queer!"

Mr. L glared. _"What?"_ He asked, clenching his teeth.

Without any warning, O'Chunks grabbed Mr. L and threw him into the mud. As the man in green fell, mud splashed all over both of their clothes. O'Chunks laughed and started doing his victory dance, showing off his muscles. Mr. L narrowed his eyes and stood, punching him in the middle of the dance.

"What was that about calling me a _queer_ _?"_ The man in green asked, his face turning red.

The Scotsman smiled. "Dimentio told me everything! You're so confused! You can't decide what you like! You're so pathetic, lad!"

O'Chunks started to reach for him, but Mr. L sprung up and kicked him in the face. O'Chunks skidded back in the mud, then charged towards Mr. L. The man in green used his super jump, thinking he was safe. Instead, the Scotsman grabbed one of his legs and slammed him into the ground.

Just then, Mr. L felt something running through his hands. They both twitched, releasing intensive shocks of pain every few seconds. "Ah..." He squeezed both hands. "What is this?" He muttered.

"Give up yet?" O'Chunks asked.

Mr. L stood and tried to ignore the pain in his hands. He hid his discomfort with a smirk. "Are you kidding!? We're just getting started!"

The two continued fighting without holding back. In the end, however, they both ran out of energy quickly. Before Mr. L knew it, he was laying on the grass. His clothes were covered in sweat and mud. He panted hard.

O'Chunks laid in a puddle of mud a few feet away. The filth covered his arms and kilt. "Ugh. I am pure done in! Yeh may have a bigger mouth than the others, but ya can put up a fight."

Mr. L smiled. "You're not so bad yourself."

The Scotsman stood and offered a hand. The man in green took it and stood up. The men panted.

O'Chunks looked up at him. "Yeh didn't mean what ya said back there, did ya? About us being juniors?"

Mr. L laughed. "You guys are still thinking about that? Well, if I'm being honest, Mimi was right. I _did_ get pretty spanked. That hero is tough, but not invincible. We've just got to try harder!"

"And so your failures fill you with determination, like a game that won't come out in at least eight years."

They both jumped. Dimentio hovered right in front of them. Mr. L frowned. "What are you talking about, Dimentio?"

The jester grinned. "Oh, nothing. Lunch is ready."

O'Chunks smiled. "Now yer speakin' meh language!" The warrior headed inside without much hesitation.

Mr. L started to follow, but Dimentio grabbed his arm. He turned, irritated. "What?"

"Is the rose still nice and unwilted?" The man in green nodded slowly. What did Dimentio tell O'Chunks about their relationship? Did he feed him this information or was the Scotsman making his own assumptions? However, Dimentio simply grinned and let go of his arm. "Good."

That was all that he had to say on the matter. The two started heading off to lunch like nothing was different between them. Well, there was one difference: Dimentio offered his hand and Mr. L took it without much thought. He ignored O'Chunks scoffing in their direction.

* * *

 _When I first started writing this story, I was a senior in high school. Now, I'm a college freshman, and I have to say, college is certainly different from HS. I still do the best I can in my classes, but I've only recently started to pick up writing fanfics again. This one came out faster than the others will because I had a lot of it done before returning to it. I hope I can find a good "work-life balance", as my dad puts it._

 _Mimi's nickname actually comes from the Greek myth about a woman named Arachne. Ignorant about her weaving skills, she challenged the goddess Athena to a weaving contest. Whether she won or not varies, but either way, Athena turned her into a spider._

 _I don't think I'll write O'Chunks as just a homophobic bully. I hope to give him some kind of plausible reason for the way he thinks._

 _The aftermath of the sparring scene might seem familiar if you've read Swirls of Black and Green. ;)_

 _-Colorful and Free_


	9. Seven Days of Bliss

_In a small apartment, a middle-aged man sat on the couch and played the guitar for his boys. The boys were both about five years old. The man had brown wavy hair and matching eyes. He wore a yellow sweater vest and long brown pants. He sang a tune in Italian, both boys singing along happily. This man was none other than Marco Mario, a plumber and loving father._

 _"Why are you singing that song again?" A voice asked. Both boys turned to see their mother, standing with her hands on her hips. She wore her long, brown hair in a messy ponytail. She still wore her red waitress uniform and nice black shoes. This was Lillian, a sweet, but often exhausted woman, as well as Marco's wife._

 _Marco stood, surprised. "Lily!"_

 _"The boys should be in bed!" Lillian said firmly._

 _The man relaxed and smiled. "_ _Oh come now. It's just a song."_

 _Lillian wasn't satisfied. She turned to her children and asked, "_ _Boys, what's a fascist?"_

 _The twins looked at each other. The older twin spat, "_ _Someone reawwy bad!"_

 _His brother nodded. "_ _They need to go to jail! Or be pubwicwy executed. Wike Mussowini!"_

 _Their mother's jaw dropped. After recovering, she jerked towards Marco. "What have you been telling them?"_

 _Marco set his guitar down gently. "I left out the gruesome details. Relax, Lillian. It's history! Sooner or later, they're going to be teaching the boys about the Holocaust in school."_

 _The boy in green felt his eyes grow wide. Tearing up, he muttered, "_ _Howocaust?"_

 _Lillian glanced at her youngest son in sympathy and lifted him into her arms. "You're frightening them, Marco! I understand. Your family used to be anti-fascist during the War. But this is America!"_

 _Marco groaned. "Oh, you sound just like your father. America this. America that. Keep raising them like that and they'll grow up to be blind nationalists, waving the flag around without knowing what it means! Just like how it was in Italy."_

 _The boy in green glanced at his brother. The boy in red stared back at him. Apparently, a nationalist was someone very bad too. "_ _I wanna go to bed!" The older boy shouted._

 _Lillian shot a glare at Marco, then turned back to her son. "Of course. I'll read you both a story. How does that sound?"_

 _The boy in green sniffled. "Can you sing the song again first?"_

 _Now she was cornered. Lillian looked at her husband. His face said, I told you so._ _Innocently, Marco explained, "_ _I was only singing them this song because they had trouble sleeping."_

 _The American sighed, then began to sing. To the boys' amazement, she sang the song in her own native tongue. The twins exchanged surprised, yet happy looks. Marco smiled, then started to play to his wife's beat. That night, before bed, the whole family sang Marco's song._

* * *

The voices were still in his head when Mr. L opened his eyes that morning. He glanced at his window. It was a typical lovely scene. The sun was rising outside, painting the sky a dazzling dark blue. Birds were chirping outside. A calm breeze came by.

Mr. L smiled. "Fascists, huh? What a lovely question to ask your boys, Lillian." With that, he stood and stretched. He went to his closet and changed clothes before walking downstairs. He braced himself for Dimentio at the bottom of the stairs. Either that, or a jump-scare of some sort. Instead, no one appeared to be awake. He was the first one up, a rare occasion.

Shrugging, Mr. L went to the kitchen and opened the fridge. He got out eggs, slices of ham, cheese, and red peppers. Slowly, he began to cut the ham and peppers, singing his father's song. Next, he started making an omelet, still singing. He didn't stick to his father's native tongue nor his mother's. Instead, he switched between languages whenever he felt like it. " _Questa mattina, mi son svegliata..._ To find the fascists all a-round.~"

That was when he had a sudden, strange feeling. The man in green sighed. Then he smiled and turned to his left. "Want some breakfast too, Dimentio?"

At that moment, Dimentio turned visible. "How did you know!?" He cried.

Mr. L shrugged. "Lucky guess."

"I was going to surprise you again!"

"Too bad," He said bluntly, then returned to making breakfast. He flipped the omelet and heard the instant sizzling.

The magician regarded him with suspicion. "What's that song you were singing?"

" _Bella Ciao._ Written around the time of the War."

Dimentio tilted his head. "What war?"

Mr. L laughed. He didn't know much about the War either. However, two things came to mind: America was in the right and Italy switched sides at one point. "Don't worry about it."

The jester hesitated. "Would you mind singing it to me?"

The man in green shrugged. "Why not? Italian or English? I was singing in Italish just now."

"Both."

Mr. L grinned and began singing the tune in Italian. Dimentio watched him with curiosity. He recognized a lot of the language, but he realized that he wasn't completely fluent yet. Mr. L surprised the jester for the second time that morning when the song ended. Nonchalantly, he asked, "How do you like your eggs?" His American accent never sounded so out of place.

"Overeasy."

He frowned. "Ugh. Great. I suck at overeasy eggs."

Dimentio laughed. He only heard Mr. L doubt himself a few times. He wished he would do it more, not because he liked seeing him doubt himself, but because he appeared more human that way. Natural. Not so narcissistic. _Maybe he'll be more like this when I've disposed of that no-good Count._ The jester appeared by his side. "I'll take care of it. You just keep singing your heart out. English, please."

Mr. L rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "What am I, your jukebox?"

"Please? I'll tell you more about your past."

"Ugh...Fine." He sang the song again, but in his mother's tongue. He also felt the need to pick up the pace slightly, just as she did that magical evening. He went to the coffee machine and made a cup of coffee, pretending Dimentio wasn't in the room.

When he was done, Dimentio commented, "That's a lovely tune. You're a fine singer as well."

Mr. L grinned. "Marco and Lillian used to sing it to me and my brother. It reminds me of where I came from."

Dimentio furrowed his brows. "Why do you call them by their first names? They're your parents."

He shrugged. "I don't know. It just feels right." With that, he set his plate on the dining room table. He grabbed his coffee along with some silverware and began to eat. "So, what interesting fact can you tell me about my past now?" Mr. L asked, only half-sarcastic.

Soon, the magician turned off the burner on the stove. He grabbed a plate and titled the pan, letting the eggs slide onto it. He floated over to Mr. L's side and placed his plate on the table. "Fun fact: You worked as a carpenter for a time. Then a plumber somewhere along the way!"

Mr. L rolled his eyes. "Fun. I've always dreamed of cleaning toilets."

"I didn't say your sole purpose was to clean toilets. You had your fair share of hero work."

Hero work. For some reason, Mr. L immediately thought of Luigi. Mario's younger brother. He shoved that thought aside. "What did I do, help old ladies across the street? Come on. Why don't you ever tell me anything about _your_ past?"

There was an awkward silence. Dimentio frowned, sat down, and started to eat. Mr. L waited for a response, but only received silence. "Come on, Mr. Houdini. Got anything?"

The jester turned with narrowed eyes. In a serious tone, he said, "I don't like that nickname."

Mr. L's eyes widened, taken back. "Sorry?"

"Our deal is only about _your_ past, not mine. And we can break it off anytime you want."

Mr. L smirked. "Ah. Well, you're getting something out of this too. Otherwise, you wouldn't have made me your first unofficial boyfriend. Am I right?" Dimentio froze. That only made Mr. L more amused. "Do guys turn you on? Do you look at porn or anything like that?"

The jester frowned. "Watch it, L."

"I'm just asking. One can't help but ask the questions, you know?"

"Can I eat? Then you can ask all the questions you want."

Mr. L sighed. Dimentio wasn't planning on backing down. "Fine. I'm gonna get some more sugar." He grabbed his mug and prepared to do just that.

"Am I interrupting somethin'?" A masculine, accented voice asked.

The man in green turned and noticed O'Chunks, wearing a frown. Mr. L rolled his eyes. He hoped that the derogatory speech from yesterday afternoon was only to rile him up for sparring. Apparently not. The Scotsman hadn't talked to him much at lunch or dinner. Oh well. Good riddance.

The mechanic grabbed the sugar. He turned the small shaker over to make sure it wasn't salt, then sprinkled it in his coffee. "Oh, hey...Mr. All-brawn-and-no-brain." O'Chunks scoffed at him. There was a moment of tense silence.

Dimentio broke it. "Ah! O'Chunks! How's that song coming along?"

Suddenly, Mr. L couldn't stay angry. He burst out laughing. Both men started laughing their heads off. "SHUT IT!" O'Chunks yelled. Both men went silent. O'Chunks grabbed a can of beer from the fridge, then wandered off, muttering under his breath. O'Chunks headed down the hallway next to the living area. Probably towards the private workout room.

Mr. L and Dimentio turned to each other. They went back to laughing.

"Watch that song be a train wreck!" Mr. L laughed.

Dimentio smiled. "I can see it already!"

They kept laughing until a certain assistant cleared her throat. She gave them both a disapproving look.

* * *

Claiming the fifth Pure Heart had been strange, to say the least. All heroes defeated King Crocus with the help of Thoreau. The king's defense involved changing into a rose-like creature, face covered and all. However, using the right techniques, they defeated him easily.

Of course, at the last minute, the Floro Sapiens explained their plight: the Cragnons had been polluting their water and King Crocus went insane. As if aware the whole time, a film crew of three Cragnons burst into the room. "CRAGLEY HO!" The director exclaimed. "Emergency special report from the floro front lines! Environmental pollution drives Floro Sapeins mad! Whither will they rampage?"

After that, the Floro Sapeins agreed to stop kidnapping the Cragnons. In return, the Cragnons had to stop polluting the river. It was a happy ending to a rather twisted and tragic tale. Mario felt glad for them, but this wasn't his world, so it was a detached kind of joy.

When they returned to Flipside, however, they all noticed Tippi had been acting a bit detached as well. "Tippi?" Peach said. No response. Tippi looked around, confused, but she didn't seem to notice any of the heroes. "Tippi!" Peach tried again.

Suddenly, Tippi turned to Peach. "Wha?"

"What's the matter, Tippi? You seemed a little out of it there..."

"Well..." The pixel began. "Didn't you just hear something?" Everyone traded glances, then shook their heads. "No? Alright then. It's just that...For a second, I thought I had remembered something very important."

They took the elevator down to the second floor of Flipside. The group began to head towards Merlon's house. After a moment of hesitation, Mario spoke up. "Hey, everybody?" The others turned to him. The man in red sighed. "Honestly...I'm starting to feel a bit tired."

"Oh come on!" It's only the afternoon!" Bowser jeered, then paused. "I think. It's hard to tell time around here. Things look the same a lot of the time."

"That's because we're only here during the mornings and afternoons," Tippi informed. "It is starting to get late, however..."

Bowser groaned. "Ugh. Fine. We can make a pit-stop, but only for supplies and everything! But if we wake up and the world ends, I'm blaming you."

Mario became silent once again. For once, he let Bowser lead them around the city, gathering supplies. They let Saffron, the nice chef on the lower floor, mix their supplies up to turn them into an improved dish. After handing Bowser a Snow Cone, Saffron said, "Don't eat it, sugar. It's meant for any foes you come across the way." Glancing towards Mario, she muttered, "Although...You have a Fire Burst? You look like you could use some Spicy Soup, hon."

The others turned to Mario, as if noticing his plight for the first time. Mario stuck a hand in each of his pockets, then shook his head. "No Fire Burst. But thanks anyway, Saffron."

After checking into a nice Flipsider's inn, the three heroes prepared for bed. Mario agreed to share a room with Peach, much to Bowser's dismay. When they turned the lights off, Mario had trouble falling asleep. His thoughts always wandered to his endless amount of responsibilities. How had it come to this? It felt like only yesterday when he was just a humble plumber who helped save his girlfriend's life from a crazy ape.

 _"You can do anything you set your mind to, Mario. You're amazing!"_ Pauline once told him when he expressed some of his doubts to her. But could he really save all worlds? He was just one man.

"Mario?"

He flipped over. "Yeah, Peach?"

"Ignore what Bowser said back there...There's nothing wrong with taking a break if you need it."

Mario sighed. "Yeah...I know. But I can't help but wonder...What if he's right? The world is getting closer to its end and here I am, taking a nap. Some hero, huh?"

The princess frowned. "Even heroes need time to rest."

"But I can't! Everybody's lives are at stake! Luigi..." Mario sighed. "I don't even know what's happening with him. It's been so long. What if he's already dead?"

"Don't talk like that!" Peach cried. Lowering her voice, she added, "He could be alive still."

Mario rolled his eyes. "Yeah right. If he's alive, he's probably being held captive. Or he's already brainwashed."

Another tense silence. Mr. L came up again. Why did he look so much like Luigi? He also spoke with an American accent, but Mario could've sworn he heard a faint nasal sound. Almost as if he was from Brooklyn too...

It couldn't be possible. Unless...

Mario flipped over and sighed. "Go to bed, Peach. Please."

"But-"

Just then, the door opened a crack. Both heroes could make out the silhouette of a large koopa king. Mario sighed and waited. He prepared himself to be told the last thing he wanted to hear right now. _Shut up, Red. Nobody cares about you or your stupid brother! When Peach is Queen of the Darklands, she won't have to deal with this anymore!_

Instead, the exact opposite happened. Softly, Bowser said, "You _both_ need to get to bed. We can't save the green guy-and our Kingdoms- if we're too tired to stay standing..."

Mario and Peach looked to each other, surprised. They nodded. Mario whispered, "Thanks, Bowser."

"Don't mention it. See you in the morning," He almost shut the door before yanking it back open. "And remember. What I said just now? In this inn? It _stays_ in this inn." Then he shut the door. It was much easier to fall asleep after that.

* * *

The next week had been blissful and surprisingly easy. Count Bleck announced he had been studying the prophecy and he couldn't see any signs that they needed to act soon. As a result, they were all given a week to do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. At first, Mr. L found this a bit suspicious. But his intuition instantly kicked in. _You're thinking too much. Think of the Count. Everything you do is for the Count._ (It was a bit strange, considering he had this thought late at night. Plus, his intuition sounded a lot like Nastasia...)

So, Mr. L found it wise to just do what the Count said and the rest would fall into place. He went into town and purchased a bottle of wine. He even ran into Tristan, that handsome cashier, while doing groceries one afternoon. Surprisingly, Tristan remembered him and what they talked about. He didn't seem to mind the flirting, even though Mr. L apologized repeatedly.

"It must have been so weird! You don't even like men and you couldn't have told me to fuck off because you were working! I'm _really_ sorry about that."

Tristan laughed. "I've been doing this for awhile. You'd be surprised how many times someone flirted with me on the job. You did make me feel a bit uncomfortable, but I've had worse. You're fine. Trust me."

Mr. L shuddered. "Worse than me? Boy, your job might be shit."

The cashier laughed. "It pays the bills. Your total is 380 coins."

Without Dimentio or his rubies, Mr. L had to scrap together more coins to pay for everything. He even had to take back a few items, but it was worth it to get to chat with Tristan. He was quite fun to talk to.

Mr. L wasn't even sure he'd remember the whole thing looking back. One day went by and the next he was back in bed, thinking and reflecting on the night before. One day, he had a mini sleepover in Mimi's room and the two swapped their own visions of a perfect world over UNO. Naturally, there was also a bit of gambling along the way.

"100 coins says you and Dimentio will break up soon," Mimi said with a mischievous grin, laying a card down.

Mr. L laughed and drew a card, placing it on top of the pile. "250 coins says we'll get _our_ _own_ castle in the New World and _you'll_ be our housemaid!"

"Like I was for Merlee for a bit? F that!" Mimi said gleefully, putting a red card down.

The man in green laughed harder than before. "I think that's the closest you've come to cursing! I told O'Chunks, the homophobic bastard, that when two people spend some time together, they naturally influence one another. Am I influencing you in the right ways?"

"May-be!~" She said, drawing the word out.

After that, the match became Mr. L daring Mimi to drop a real F-bomb. Soon, she set down a black wild card and changed the color of the cards to yellow. Mr. L groaned and kept drawing cards with Mimi smirking, dropping higher and higher amounts for random outcomes. "300 coins says I'll get my own Jacuzzi in the New World! 450 says I'll have my own personal massages, with a male and female staff so you can join me! 600 says Dimentio will stop teasing us! _1000 rubies says you'll remember your past soon!"_

As it so happened, Mr. L drew a yellow card at that moment. He placed it down on the pile, narrowing his eyes, and said firmly, "Don't push it, Mimi." They wrapped up the game in silence after that. Mimi won.

Mr. L and Dimentio had a few sleepovers of their own, switching rooms. They also talked about the future, with Dimentio only reiterating Mr. L's 250 coin dare to Mimi. Of course, this was coincidental, but it was still a tad unnerving. One night, in Dimension D, they both laid under a sky full of stars. Dimentio was back in that human-like form again. He whispered softly, "I won't have to take orders from the Count anymore. Soon, I'll have it all. My own castle. My own New World to rest in and call my own. A place to belong. And no one has to feel afraid."

The man in green flipped to his side, staring at Dimentio. He asked, "Am _I_ to be a part of that New World?"

Dimentio looked at Mr. L with shock, as if he forgot he was even there. Maybe he did. However, the jester nodded. "Of course you will be. You'll be my right-hand man. We'll live together." They went to sleep shortly afterwards.

Mr. L thought that was the end of the week's seriousness. Any minute, they'd be back to fighting the heroes. Everyone would rally together again. He and O'Chunks would be good acquaintances, making jokes about running the red hero in the mud. He and Mimi would plan out their attacks together, and she would stop asking about his relationship with Dimentio so much.

As for him and Dimentio? Mr. L wasn't sure. Hopefully, it would stop being about his past and more about the two of them. He knew that was the whole point of their romance in the first place, but he never got over the odd sensation that learning about his own past gave him. It seemed Dimentio knew everything about Mr. L's former self, and the man in green was left in the dark about most of it. He hated it. Plus, somewhere along the way, he thought he had truly fallen in love.

Of course, that wasn't the end of all the seriousness. One day, Count Bleck had a minion drag both him and Dimentio to his private headquarters. Mr. L went without question. Dimentio floated by him in silence. When they both arrived, Count Bleck stared at them with a critical eye. Nastasia was by his side, of course. Mr. L had the impression early on that she was his sole confidante. But she didn't speak, so to him, it looked like she was more of a submissive secretary.

"Let me guess. We're in trouble?" The magician asked.

"Not quite," Count Bleck replied calmly.

"Then what did we do?" Mr. L asked.

"I hear you two have established a romantic relationship."

His eyes widened. Mr. L sat up straighter and asked, "Who told you!?"

Count Bleck glanced at Nastasia. She answered, "Mimi. O'Chunks. Some goombas and koopas. A few Magikoopas."

The man in green slumped back in his chair. "Oh. So everyone basically."

"Pretty much." Nastasia gave a rare smile. "Did you really think you could tell Mimi something and not have it spread around?"

Mr. L sighed. "Is that all? I wasn't aware that was against the rules around here." Silence. The man in green looked at Dimentio, who seemed strangely stiff. Nastasia was back to frowning, as if a smile was never there. Count Bleck frowned. The mechanic sighed. "Sorry. I was just worried. For a second, I thought you were going to-"

"No, I'm not banishing either of you. I don't care if you are both men."

Dimentio seemed thrown off. "Really now?"

"I only care about how you two treat each other," The Count answered.

Mr. L blinked, now confused. "Of course. I understand that, but we're-"

Just then, Dimentio burst out laughing. "Oh, Count! Of course we'll treat each other well! Won't we all? This time next year, we'll be living in a paradise of your own design!"

The Count narrowed his eyes. "Yes, but-"

"But what? You're worrying too much!"

The jester kept laughing until Mr. L kicked him from under the table. "Dimentio, would you quit? Just listen for once!"

The magician smiled. He stopped laughing, but he patted Mr. L on the back. "Oh, L. You're so cute!" He turned to Count Bleck. "But honestly. What were you wanting to accomplish with this? We're dating now. Of course we'll treat one another well!"

"Dimentio, please!" Nastasia said, raising her voice. "One would think you'd learn how to talk to your superior by now."

Count Bleck placed his hand on Nastasia's shoulder. She looked to him with confusion. Staring directly at Dimentio, the Count spoke in a clear and concise voice. No one could've missed his words. "I'm sure my father thought the same thing when he married my mother."

Dead silence. No one was laughing now. Dimentio stopped smiling real quick. His face became neutral, neither freezing nor burning hot. Mr. L asked softly, "What happened, Count?"

"He beat her," Count Bleck replied. "Of course, when times were good, they were very good. But the marriage was still arranged. Mother tried to deal with him the best she could and I got along fine. I only became the target of his physical abuse when I made a serious mistake. Then again, he made me feel as if I was nothing a lot of the time. Maybe that was why I tried so hard back then." He let out a long, tired sigh. "After that...Mother got older and didn't interfere much with my father, even when she knew something was wrong. She had her own way of trying to get through to him, but he seldom listened. And then..." He trailed off.

Mr. L was in absolute shock. He turned to Dimentio, but the jester was quiet for once. He glanced at Nastasia. She stared into space, a glassy look in her crimson eyes. He turned back to the Count. "I'm sorry that happened to you. I would never beat my spouse, even if it was arranged!"

Count Bleck grinned. "Thank you, Mr. L, but your words can't bring me back the girl I lost."

"What happened to her?"

"That is a long story. I'll just say that I lost her and I doubt I will ever see her again. I see traces of her in a lot of things, so I'm always keeping my eyes open, but everyone has to wake up eventually. Accept reality, no matter how much we don't want to."

Beside him, Nastasia added, "But we can still change what we do with this information."

Count Bleck closed his eyes, letting out a dreary sigh. "Just take care of each other, both of you. And protect one another with your very lives. The heroes are a troublesome threat right now. I can't say if either of you will lose your lives. I certainly hope you won't, but..." He trailed off again. He turned to Dimentio and looked him in the eye. "Dimentio. Mr. L is in greater danger, as both prophecies specifically cite him as the one who will decide how this goes, for better or for worse. Please...Keep him safe."

The magician replied, "I'll do what I can."

Count Bleck turned to his more loyal minion. "And Mr. L?"

The man in green asked, "Yes, sir?"

For just a moment, Count Bleck hesitated. Slowly and evenly, he said, "Do not forget where your allegiance lies. I've noticed your self-doubt as of late. You need to stop that. It's time to decide: are you my servant or not? If so, then put this behavior behind you. Work as hard as you're able. You must remember who was there for you in all of your months of pain and confusion."

That stung. The Count was so understanding when Mr. L last showed any trace of doubt in front of him. Still, he was probably right. The mechanic nodded. "Yes, sir."

Count Bleck smiled. "I may give you a chance to get back out there. Don't you fret." To the both of them, he said, "You're dismissed. I'll see you next meeting."

Both Mr. L and Dimentio stood and left the room. As the magician floated away away, Mr. L walked out slower. Nastasia went to the door and shut it behind him. The man in green turned back to listen. After a few seconds, Nastasia said, "Count...You didn't have to tell them that much."

"Oh, Nastasia..." He muttered sadly. "I had to. I couldn't bare the thought of looming over them like my father did to Timpani and me...But I can't let them make the same mistakes I did."

Timpani. What a lovely name.

Mr. L closed his eyes and sighed. He felt awful for the Count, but there was nothing he could do about his lonely past. The only way he could make up for it was to work as hard as he could. Looking up ahead at Dimentio, he thought, _"And I'll keep you safe. That's my promise." _That was his last thought before he caught up with his spouse.

* * *

 _Looks like this one came out quicker than I thought it would! Inspired by Breakfast at Tiffany's, I wanted to include a song in this fic. Originally, L was gonna be singing Bella Ciao by himself, quietly and slowly, while playing the guitar. Dimentio would creep up on him, listening in while invisible. My DA shows this. I changed it because that just didn't feel right, for whatever reason. As much as I wanna paste the lyrics, Fanfiction won't let me without getting on my case. So, here's a couple links to the song on Youtube:_

 _Italian: watch?v=TnUuNvr2Tc8 (this is how I see Marco sounding)_

 _English: watch?v=CDuZ_n_0H9I (Lillian's version, without the Anti-fa part of course)_

 _Mr. L's voice is really distinct, so neither of these sound like him. However, the song is featured in La Casa del Papel. I don't watch the show, but the second singer (Berlin, I think) sounds a lot like him in my opinion._

 _Next time is gonna be really_ _intense. Just you wait. Until then, I hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving! ;)_

 _-Colorful and Free_


	10. Acts of Love

_Warning: This chapter contains a lemon. The narrative won't specifically tell you_ _how the sex happens because I've never actually written a true lemon and male-on-male sex is still a mystery to me. (If I did write about the details, the rating would go up to M.) But the feelings are there. If that makes you uncomfortable, just stop when you see this asterix (*) and scroll until you see the next gray horizontal line/divider/whatever it's called_ _. Although this exact relationship is not ideal, I still believe sex is an intimate act of love and requires total consent._

 _With that in mind, I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

Dimentio narrowed his eyes. That act was convincing. It was moments like these that he had to remind himself it was just that: an act. Recently, he skimmed through some entries in the Count's journal and he hadn't mentioned his parents once.

However, he knew the issue of Timpani quite well. The Count just couldn't let her go. Then again, he didn't know that she was still alive. Of course, Dimentio wouldn't tell him the truth. (Not that he wanted to at this point.)

Soon, Mr. L caught up. Dimentio wasn't sure how to address him at first. Should he ignore him? Pretend to sympathize with the Count? No. He wanted to tell what he really thought for once. "What a joke. He talked to us as if we were children."

Mr. L frowned. "Dimentio, why don't you ever just shut up and listen?"

The jester turned. "That's hypocritical, coming from you. You backtalk anyone who isn't wearing a top hat." Mr. L rolled his eyes. Dimentio placed his hands behind his head and fell back, as if resting a bed. "So...The Count wants us to trust one another."

His look softened. Mr. L nodded. "Yeah."

"He told us to protect each other with our very lives."

"Uh-huh...But that shouldn't be too hard. I mean, I already trust you."

That caught him off guard. Dimentio turned. "You do?"

"Of course."

The magician floated upright again. Time to head into experimental territory. "I trust you as well. But...I don't know. Is there anything we could do?" He quickly added, "In order to prove our commitment for another?"

The man in green paused, stroking his chin. "Hmm..." Suddenly, his eyes widened. His cheeks turned bright pink. "Um...I thought of something."

"What is it?"

Mr. L gulped. Why was he so nervous all of a sudden? "T-There is one thing we can do...But it's very intimate and private!"

"Alright. What is it?"

He frowned. "A lot of people think they can sell it to you, but I say that's bullshit. It's very personal and special."

Dimentio smiled. "Oh! I see!"

Mr. L nodded quickly, still blushing. The magician let gravity take hold of him, crashing into Mr. L's arms. The man in green cried out before he got a hold of Dimentio. The child-sized magician asked, "A trust fall! Right?"

"No!" He sighed. "Look...You don't just give it to anyone, and _especially_ not by surprise!"

Dimentio sighed and floated again. He didn't get to use that spell often. He gestured for Mr. L to go on. He took a deep breath and spoke slowly. "First, two people have to establish a friendship..."

"Check."

"Then a romantic relationship."

"Check."

"Then, before doing anything, they have to make sure they have the other partner's full consent! No Idon'tknows involved! And then-"

"Mr. L, what is it? Just spit it out," Dimentio said, getting bored.

"IT'S SEX, ALRIGHT?"

There was a moment of silence. Everything snapped into place. "Oh! Of course! It's so simple!" After a few more seconds of silence, he asked, "What's sex?"

"UGH! You're hopeless!" Mr. L began to storm off.

Dimentio laughed, grabbing his arm. "Mr. L, I'm _joking_! I'm an adult. I know what sex is."

Mr. L paused. "Oh. Right." He laughed nervously.

Dimentio loved that sound. He chuckled with him. "So, I assume you've never done it before?"

The man in green nodded.

"But you don't remember if that's really true or not."

He frowned. "I _feel_ like I am! What about you?"

"I've never done it either."

Mr. L raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that?"

"Quite sure. Unlike _some_ people around here, I despise the idea of being intimate with a woman."

Mr. L didn't seem to know how to respond to that. "Oh...Well, okay." There was another moment of silence. "So...Should we do it? I mean, I wouldn't mind trying it. The world is about to end soon anyway."

Dimentio shrugged. "Why not? There's just one problem. How do we do it as two men?"

The man in green stared at the floor, muttering, "I've heard of a few ways..."

Dimentio smiled and changed positions in the air. He got on his stomach and set his elbows down, supporting his head with his hands. "I'm listening." (*)

* * *

They went to Dimentio's bedroom. Once they were there, Dimentio told Mr. L to lock the door and hide the key anywhere in the room. The only catch was that he couldn't tell him where he left the key. Mr. L furrowed his brows. "Is that really necessary?"

"No turning back," Dimentio replied. "This door locks from the inside. You see, whenever I need to get something done, I make a deal with Nastasia. She takes my key and I make the room spell-proof for the time being. Once I'm done with my work, she slips the key under the door. It's difficult to work that way, but sometimes, it's the only way to get anything done."

"Uh-huh." Mr. L didn't sound convinced, but he hid the key anyway. Dimentio appeared calm, but on the inside, he felt more nervous with each passing second. Was he really going to do this? All for the sake of the plan?

That was when the truth came crashing down on him like a ton of bricks. He didn't just _like_ Mr. L anymore. He didn't even want him for the plan at this point. He wanted him for who he was. The skilled mechanic who held a wrench like a child would a crayon. The charming, charismatic man with an endless sense of humor. The one who told him his honest opinions. No. He had fallen _in love_ with him.

Dimentio wanted only the best for this mirror image of himself. The magician couldn't help but lie, even when he should tell the truth. The man in green didn't hesitate to tell it like it was, even when he should lie or simply hold his tongue. Dimentio wanted to forget his past and Mr. L wanted to remember it. Dimentio gave him bits and pieces, but he couldn't do the puzzle for him. He couldn't tell him who he really was...

"Hey, Dimentio?"

He jumped. Mr. L smiled softly. "If you don't want to do this tonight, I completely understand."

"No!" He cried. Mr. L flinched. The magician lowered his voice. "No, please. Don't worry about me. I _want_ to do this."

"Are you sure? You're shaking pretty bad."

Dimentio stared at his trembling hands. "I-I didn't realize I was sh-shaking..."

"Hey." Mr. L put his hand on his shoulder. "Deep breaths, okay?" His tone was so soft and understanding. He had Dimentio take a few deep breaths. The magician resisted at first, but soon, he was able to get his breathing back to normal. The mechanic grinned. "Better?"

"I think so...How did you learn to do this?"

"Nastasia taught me."

Dimentio laughed. This time, it was out of nervousness rather than pure defiance. "Why would you go to Nastasia for anything?"

The man in green shrugged. "She's good at calming me down. One time, I nearly had a panic attack because I felt so much pressure. The Count's vision rests in my hands. But I'm a dreamer and she's a realist, so she dragged me back down to Earth."

"You've had panic attacks?"

"Almost."

"But you're never nervous!"

Mr. L chuckled. "Looks can be deceiving."

Dimentio hesitated. The magician knew that better than anyone. He spent so long fooling the Count and Nastasia. In fact, he fed everyone lies and they believed them for the most part. This man was the only one who allowed him to tell the truth. "Mr. L..."

"Yeah?"

"I love you." Dimentio glanced at the floor. "And I'm not just saying that! I admit it. It was a complete accident. I never meant to fall for you, but it just happened! And I want you to stay with me. Like this. For the rest of our lives, if we can help it."

Silence. He felt embarrassed, but none of it was a lie. Not anymore.

Dimentio looked up. Mr. L stared at him with a surprised expression. "I...uh..."

Suddenly, the magician grabbed his hands and stared straight into his eyes. Mr. L gasped. "Please answer this question and be honest. Do you feel the same or are you only doing this so you can remember your past?"

Mr. L blinked. Then he smiled and laughed. "Oh. I see." He laughed again for a few more seconds. When he was done, he smiled brightly. "I don't care about that." He hesitated. "I mean, I still want to meet my family one day, but...I'm doing this because I want to do it. Not because I feel like I have to."

Dimentio felt his own heart race. He never felt this way about anyone. He could no longer control himself. "Oh, I know I'm supposed to ask permission, but I can't take this anymore!" With that, he kissed him on the mouth. Mr. L seemed surprised at first, but he quickly relaxed and returned the favor with vigor.

The two kept going for a few minutes. At one point, Dimentio tried something new. He put his tongue in the other man's mouth. When Dimentio stopped to test his reaction, Mr. L chuckled. "Look at you. Just diving right in!" The two continued. After stopping to take a breath, Mr. L muttered, "In my world, you'd call that a French kiss..."

"Really now? In that case...I _love_ French kisses..."

Mr. L laughed. "I bet I can do that even better."

"Is that right? Well, why don't you show me?"

That was all it took. Suddenly, they did it again and again, melting into one, only stopping to take breaths. Dimentio decided this made up for every awful moment in his 25 years of life. Everything built up to this.

The rest of it happened too slow and too fast at the same time. Soon, they were down to their boxers. Later in the evening, they wore nothing at all. The pain that Mr. L gave him was nothing. The sharp intensity didn't even compare to the sorrow that Dimentio wrestled with each and every day. Soon, it melted into that warm, dark pleasure all over again.

Right then, Dimentio decided he wouldn't kill Mr. L after all. No, he _wanted_ him in the New World, ruling by his side. He had this thought one starry night in Dimension D, but he wasn't sure before. Now, he knew that he needed this man and he wouldn't give him up without a fight.

At the end of the night, when both men were completely exhausted, Mr. L whispered, "Dimentio?"

"Yes, my dear Mr. L?"

The man in green smiled. His smile never looked more sweet and genuine. So innocently giddy and happy. He muttered the words, _"Ti amo anche."_ I love you too. That was all it took to melt Dimentio's heart. With that, the night ended and for the first time in years, Dimentio fell into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Dimentio opened his eyes. He sat up and stretched before glancing at the clock. It was 10 AM. The smallest hand moved slowly across the clock. _Tick. Tick. Tick._ His eyes landed on Mr. L. The man in green had his back to him.

Dimentio sighed and ran a hand through his hair. The previous night's ecstasy was gone. Now, Dimentio felt wave after wave of shame and regret. How could he have done that? _Why_ had he done that? He knew it was wrong, but he did it anyway. There really was no going back now. He looked at Mr. L again and flinched. This time, he had his eyes open.

Mr. L smiled and muttered, "Look who's surprising you now."

His soft voice made it worse. Dimentio sighed. "Yes, ha-ha. Very funny."

A long silence. Mr. L broke it. "Did we really just do that?"

"We did."

The man in green sat up. He rubbed his eyes and stretched before turning to Dimentio. He eyed him up and down, paying careful attention to him. Dimentio remembered that time he compared Mr. L to an artist. Now, he looked like a cynical critic, just waiting to tear him apart. Instead, he said, "That human form of yours..."

"Yes?"

"It's really realistic."

The magician scrunched his nose. "What do you think I am?"

Mr. L yawned. "I don't know. A pure ball of dark magic and persuasiveness? Plus...I don't know. You always sounded kinda British. Or Jewish."

The jester tried to think of something witty to say, but nothing came to mind. He settled for one simple word. "What?"

The man in green chuckled. At first, it was quiet, but soon he was roaring with laughter. He clutched his chest, happy tears gleaming from his eyes. Dimentio stared. "Um...Are you feeling well?"

He turned. "Dimentio! You know what we just did?"

"I don't know. You told me that I sound British and/or Jewish."

Mr. L shook his head, wearing a huge smile. "No, silly! We actually did it! Literally!"

"Yes. We did. What are you so giddy about?"

"Because I've just found the man of my dreams!" He fell back against the bed with both arms spread out, laughing.

Dimentio had never seen anyone this happy. He wasn't sure what to do. "...Have you been drinking?"

The mechanic stopped laughing. He sat back up with a frown on his face. "What? You don't think I'm serious? What we did last night is _very_ intimate and personal, you know."

"Of course."

"So...Why do you seem so boring about it?"

Dimentio turned away. He muttered, "I'm starting to regret it, actually."

Mr. L laughed for a few short seconds. Dryly, he added, "Funny."

The magician stared at his lap, fixated with his blanket. The man in green stood. "Anyway...I got some good wine the other day. Or was it two days ago?" For a split second, he hesitated. He quickly shifted gears. "Oh, it doesn't matter! All that matters is that I have it! We should split it! Right here, right now!"

Dimentio jumped on his feet. "Oh no! That can get you sick. Killed, even. All that alcohol in one sitting?"

"I wasn't going to drink it in one sitting, but if you insist on being boring, maybe we can have a toast over coffee." Mr. L turned away. "I need to get dressed." He stood and headed towards the closet. Completely naked. At the last second, he turned back to Dimentio. "Oh, by the way, do you mind if I borrow your clothes?"

The jester turned away. "That's fine! Just put some clothes on!"

He tilted his head. "What's wrong?"

"Have you forgotten that _neither of us are wearing clothes!?"_

Mr. L shrugged. "Nothing you haven't already seen." Next, he went into the closet and shut the door. From the inside, he shouted, "Wow! You actually have stuff in here! I was imagining the same outfit over and over like in those cartoons!"

"You spend too much time with Mimi!"

Mr. L didn't respond. Dimentio sighed and went to his dresser. He pulled out a pair of boxers and pants, then went to the closet. "You'll need these. And pass me a shirt!"

"What color?"

"I don't care! Any color!"

Mr. L laughed, but took a black shirt off its hanger and gave it to Dimentio. The magician shut the door and let out a long sigh. He grabbed a pair of pants and boxers for himself and changed clothing. It felt odd. He never stayed this way for so long. Even more awkward, Mr. L thought his other form was real and this one was the illusion. He distracted himself by putting all the dirty clothes in the hamper. Once that was done, Dimentio sat on his bed and sighed, burying his face in his hands.

Now what should he do? He couldn't possibly keep going as before. He didn't want Mr. L to die. It was time to tell him the truth. But what if he went straight to the Count? Then everything would be ruined. Or maybe he would keep quiet...

At that moment, Dimentio realized it was time to face the facts. He was sabotaging the Count's entire plan from the inside, yet he fell in love with one of his devout servants. There was no telling how he would react to the truth.

Dimentio didn't care for the man Mr. L was. He didn't even know him. Besides, even if he did change back, Nastasia could easily hypnotize him again. If that happened, Mr. L would go back to being distant and narcissistic. He might not even remember anything they did together. But he was willing to take that risk for the man he loved. He finally came to a decision.

The man in green came out in a purple shirt and black pants. He stopped short when he noticed Dimentio. He tilted his head. "Something wrong?"

Softly, Dimentio spoke his name. "Mr. L, come here."

He sat on the bed next to him. "What's up?"

"I haven't been completely honest with you about some things..."

His smile faltered. "Like what? You haven't been lying about my past, have you?"

Dimentio shook his head. "No. Nothing like that. However, we did have a deal. Remember what that was?"

"Of course. I give you romantic gestures in exchange for information."

"Well...Last night, you gave me the most intimate act of love. For that, I think it's time you know who you really are."

His eyes widened and he let out a quick gasp. Dimentio smiled sadly. It was time for the hard part. "Of course, it's only fair you know my past as well. I was reluctant to tell you because I've experienced a lot of pain in those days. Please listen carefully." The man in green nodded. Dimentio took a deep breath. "Since the time I was five years old, I had disturbing dreams. I believe they may have been from a past life. In those dreams, I was being murdered."

Mr. L was silent. Dimentio went on. "I can't remember much about it. I don't recall the face of my murderer, but I remember it was a man. I believe I knew him personally. I begged him to let me live, but he wouldn't listen. In fact...He _laughed_ in the face of my suffering. I felt so betrayed. My heart was heavy and everything was painful. It was the worst feeling I had ever known."

The man in green stared with wide eyes. Softly, he whispered, "Dimentio?"

His throat felt raw and closed. His vision was getting blurry. Wiping his tears, he went on, "This gave me a lot of trouble in my present life. I tried to talk with my parents about it...But they wouldn't listen. My father wrote them off as bad dreams, nothing more. My mother, on the other hand...I still hear her voice to this day. _Stop crying, Dimentio! You're not a baby!_ "

"Your dad didn't stop it?"

"He didn't care," Dimentio said with disgust. "He was always studying magic and, of course, the Dark Prognosticus. It was written long ago by his ancestors, but he witnessed its destruction personally. His nephew went mad and used the prophecies in it to destroy his entire dimension. He was the only survivor. My father lost his entire family and all of his childhood friends. My father wanted to prevent another disaster like that from ever happening. Unfortunately...Since he failed to intervene on my behalf, he only helped the Dark Prognosticus. One day, it was set to destroy his dimension. All dimensions."

Mr. L gasped. Dimentio recalled how guilty he felt, watching those refugees in the marketplace. He suspected those feelings were returning. Good.

Dimentio went on. "I was a gifted student in magic school...Until my ninth year. By that time, I was fourteen. I became so tired of my parents giving me no attention. So I dropped out. I lied to my teachers and my supposed friends. I even broke up with my girlfriend at the time. She was so hurt, but I couldn't keep up that happy facade any longer. It was tearing me apart."

"What about your parents?"

"Well, Mother gave me several beatings. Nothing out of the ordinary, although she now took away anything that wasn't related to school. Even my father noticed me struggling and yelled at me out of pure concern, but it was too late. Even if I went back to being their perfect son, they would never truly understand me. So I ran away."

"To the Count."

"Not at first. I spent four years on the streets. At first, I stole food, but eventually I realized that couldn't keep me going forever. So, I stole magic books. I re-learned everything the school taught me and more. Finally, for once in my life, I felt like I was _learning_ something."

"At one point, I even reunited with Diana, my former girlfriend. I spent one year living comfortably with her and her family. When I was 19, she gave me one last chance for a normal, happy life. She confessed her love for me and asked for my hand."

Mr. L ginned. "A bit of role reversal." His smile quickly faded and he let out a sad sigh. "But you turned her down. You didn't like her."

"Oh no. I liked Diana plenty. She was very sweet and intelligent."

"But you didn't love her."

"No, I didn't. For so long, I couldn't figure out why marriage with her wouldn't make me happy. But now, thanks to you, I finally have my answer. I'm only interested in other men."

"If only Diana had been a man."

"But she wasn't, so I said no. I felt awful for breaking her heart, but I couldn't pretend to love someone that I had no interest in. Even so, she still showed me kindness. Diana told me there was an empty castle on top of the hill. It was unknown what happened to the previous residents. I agreed to investigate, for her above all else."

"But it wasn't empty. Instead, I found a broken man and his pretty little assistant. The man looked like he was in his late twenties or early thirties. The woman was in her early twenties. Even though she clearly had feelings for him, the man either didn't notice or didn't care. Right away, he gave me a bad feeling. They already claimed the castle as theirs, but I made a deal with the man that if he allowed me to live with them, I'd be his servant for the rest of my days."

With that, Dimentio was silent, confirming the end of his story. Mr. L grinned. "And you still are. Both of us are the Count's loyal servants."

Dimentio glared. Did Mr. L really think he was only telling him this story to make him _even_ _more_ devoted to the Count? "No, you idiot! I'm _not_ his servant! No matter what oath I made six years ago. It doesn't matter. It's _obsolete_!"

Mr. L stared at Dimentio with shock. The jester groaned. "Oh, I might as well get to the point! I've already spilled my heart out to you. Mr. L, I'm going to tell you the truth right here and now and you're going to listen. Count Bleck is nothing but a con-artist and he needs to be stopped! Will you help me overthrow him?"

* * *

 _You can thank NormanWhitesmith for the "trust fall" line. I told her about the conversation that I was imaging for Mr. L and Dimentio while we were talking on the phone. She thought of the joke. She said she wasn't trying to change the script, but I put it in the fic anyway. Oh btw we're dating now. Yay. (Sorry, Norm. I blew your secret about your gender to ALL OF THE INTERNET! Jk. Just my readers.)_

 _Once again, I read through this quickly. It took FOREVER to read through, so feel free to correct any errors. Also, next week is Finals Week, so the next chapter will have to wait until then. Once that's done, I can enjoy a month of Winter Break._

 _Next Time: For the first time since his change in personality, the man in green has a choice. Either side with Dimentio, the man claiming to be his true love, or follow the words of the Count and aid in his plans for destruction. Whichever choice he makes, he still walks along a path of lies._

 _-Colorful and Free (Free)_


	11. The Truth

_I've always looked forward to writing this chapter and the one after it. I actually wrote the dialogue early on, so this scene has been planned for awhile. However, now that we know Dimentio's backstory, it makes it even more dramatic! I_ _'m so glad we've gotten this far. Let's see how our lovebirds over here are gonna manage this slight disagreement, shall we?_

* * *

Mr. L was speechless. He stared with wide eyes and pure shock. "W-What are you talking about!? You want to betray him!? Why would you want to do that?"

"He hasn't been honest about his intentions," Dimentio said venomously. "He told you and the others that he intends to destroy these worlds and make new ones in their place, correct?"

"R-Right..."

"Well...He was lying. He intends to destroy every world and leave them in ruin. I know this because I've read his secret journals. I knew something was off about him, so I took it upon myself to investigate. Naturally, I was horrified, but I knew that I couldn't keep my mouth shut. I needed to tell someone."

"But...Why me? Why not Nastasia or-?"

"Nastasia knows everything and supports him fully," Dimentio interrupted. He wasn't sure if this was true or not, but it didn't matter. She stood by the Count in everything; she might as well have been supportive.

"Sh-She does?"

"Yes. The others are too blinded by their loyalty for that man to see him for what he truly is. I knew I could trust you. Besides, you are the man in green named in the prophecy. Take you out of the equation, and he's doomed to fail. The Dark Prognosticus will be null and void, and we'll all be safe." For a moment, it looked like Mr. L believed Dimentio. His heart soared. Maybe his dear love would work with him after all.

However, this was not to be. The man in green stood and took a few steps back. "No. That's not true! The Count would never do that!" He narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists. "This is some kind of sick joke, isn't it? Well, it's not very funny!"

"L, please…"

"I can't believe you would make something up like that!" Mr. L went on. "After everything the Count has done for you? You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Dimentio's stomach dropped. For the first time in ages, he allowed himself to show genuine pain.

Mr. L didn't seem to notice. He turned and headed for the door. "I have to go. L-Type needs some tuning up."

As he watched the man in green leave, Dimentio faced another rude awakening. Mr. L was a devout servant of the Count. He believed everything that man told him and served him well. And it didn't matter how Mr. L felt about Dimentio personally. Everything they had done together was secondary. In fact, the magician doubted he would actually work on his robot. No. For once, something else took priority over his work. He would report straight to the Count.

With this realization, Dimentio allowed a layer of thick ice to spread over his broken heart. Letting out a tired sigh, he muttered, "Whatever you say, _Luigi."_

The man in green stopped, his hand on the doorknob. He turned back around, glaring. " _What_ did you just call me?"

"Remember how you felt disappointed in me because I wouldn't tell you your real name? It's Luigi Mario," Dimentio replied, no hesitation whatsoever. His tone had taken a hard edge.

"M-Mario? As in...As in the hero?" Mr. L asked, shocked once again.

"Yes. Don't you recall that morning when you said your brother is short and wears red? Well, Mario _is_ your twin brother."

"Y-You're crazy! I could never be related to him! He's my enemy!"

"Well, you are. Like it or not," Dimentio said bluntly. "And pretending that you hate him won't do you any good."

"I'm not pretending!"

"Yes, you are. I can see through your little act. You pretend to hate Mario, just like the rest of us, but in reality, you love him more than anything. Take Brobot, for example. If you had really wanted to destroy the hero, you wouldn't have grown so attached to your machine. But you _longed_ for your brother so much that the two became synonymous in your mind."

Mr. L scowled. "Don't you dare bring my brother into this!"

"Too late. I already have."

"Get out!"

Dimentio narrowed his eyes. "This is _my_ bedroom." The mechanic huffed and turned back around. He twisted the doorknob, but the door wouldn't budge. He tried again and got the same result. "Oh, that's right," The magician said, letting his usual smooth tone seep back into his voice. "We locked the door last night. Didn't want anyone interrupting us…"

Mr. L jerked back around. "Where's the key!?"

"I don't know."

"Don't play games with me! Where's the key!?"

"No, really. I don't know. After all, I told you to hide it. Now, would you quit whining? You sound like a child throwing a tantrum." The man in green groaned and searched through Dimentio's drawers. He went through every single one, throwing clothes on the floor carelessly. The magician watched with a smirk on his face. "Tell me, Mr. L, if you aren't Mario's brother, why do you want to protect him?"

The mechanic froze, his back towards Dimentio. The magician went on. "Why do you feel as if you've seen him somewhere before? Why didn't you crush him when you had the chance?"

Mr. L turned to Dimentio, a flicker of pain in his eyes. "You've been reading my journal. Just like you've been reading Mimi's diary!" He ran his hands through his hair. "Ugh! I should've known!"

"Answer the question, Mr. L."

"That was a scouting mission! Don't you get it!? I was _never_ destined to win that battle!"

Dimentio laughed. "You easily could have won. Who told you that you were supposed to lose? Nastasia?"

His face turned red. Through clenched teeth, he muttered, "No, the Count." He huffed and walked past Dimentio, towards the desk. He took everything off of it and dumped anything that carried items, including a pencil holder. "It was in the Dark Prognosticus, okay!?"

"Oh, really? What was the stanza?"

Mr. L stopped. "The man in green will reach the Maze of Death...And he'll lose? Something like that! I don't know! The Count read that to me forever ago!"

The jester laughed once more. "Ah, yes. I know that one. "Though he will try to snuff the hero's flame, he will remember his own light and surrender in shame." Tell me, Mr. L. What light is still lingering inside you?"

"Stop it! Would you just lay off!?"

"But you told me that your mother and father used to sing a special song to you..."

The man in green spun around, seething rage. "No! I don't wanna hear about _anything_ I said or remembered! Just shut up! You don't know what you're talking about!"

"But it's the truth!" Dimentio spat, his true feelings of anger and betrayal coming through. "Face it, Mr. L! The Count and Nastasia have been lying to you the whole time! You're not saving anyone. You're not making anyone's life better! All you're doing is taking hundreds of thousands of innocent lives!" Mr. L returned to searching for the key. He yanked the drawer right out of the desk and dumped its contents onto the floor.

Dimentio continued. "And you know what? I never really liked Mimi or O'Chunks that much, but at least they're fighting for what they believe in! _You're_ only here because Nastasia brainwashed you!"

Mr. L stopped, hands shaking violently. When he spoke next, Dimentio heard nothing but pain in his voice. "No. No, you're wrong! You're nothing but a liar, you hear me!? A _fucking_ liar!"

"You're only calling me that because you know I'm right. Think, Mr. L! Have I ever lied to you before?" Mr. L didn't respond. He stared at the pile in front of him. "You can't put it off any longer! Like it or not, you're Luigi Mario! The fourth hero. As stated in the Light Prognosticus!

The mechanic turned back to face Dimentio. He looked pathetic, as if he would burst into tears any minute. Slowly and evenly, Dimentio went on. He spoke in a quiet voice. "And that's precisely why the Count wanted you. Do you really think he would listen to one of his minions babble about some man she found attractive if she didn't mention your green overalls?"

Mr. L bit his lip. Blood trailed down his chin. Slowly, he stood and uncurled his left fist. He held a plain purple key. He placed the key in his right hand and walked past Dimentio, not saying a word. He unlocked the door and opened it. Putting one foot outside, Mr. L turned and looked back at Dimentio one last time. He wore a neutral expression on his face. He seemed to look past Dimentio when he whispered two simple words. "Deal's off."

Next, he slammed the door behind him. Dimentio stared. He smiled and forced himself to laugh through the pain. Just like he had done for nearly two decades. "Ah well. Back to square one, I suppose."

* * *

 _You ever get that feeling when you write something where the characters are pissed, so in return, you start to get pissed? Even though you have nothing to be angry over in your current life? That's me after writing this. So, I feel this chapter is a bit short, but I have a feeling that other chapters will make up for that fine. I hope this gave you all some anticipation!_

 _Next Time: Mr. L, his true name Luigi Mario. The man in green now knows his true identity. But will knowing the truth make the rest of his stay at Castle Bleck any easier? Will he defy everything these last few months have taught him or will this experience mold him into Count Bleck's perfect weapon?_

 _-Colorful and Free_


	12. Life or Death

The man in green shoved past a couple of koopas as he ran down the hall. One of them shouted at him to watch where he was going, but he ignored him. There was no way. No way. Dimentio was lying to him. It couldn't be true. Mr. L barged into Count Bleck's bedroom. Luckily, he was sitting in bed, writing in his journal. "Count!"

Count Bleck stopped, giving him a glance. "Yes, Mr. L?"

"There's something I need to tell you!"

"Well, whatever it is, can't it wait? Count Bleck is busy."

Mr. L shook his head. "No, it can't! I need to tell you _right now!"_

Count Bleck sighed. He closed his journal and set it on his night stand. "Go on then. Out with it."

"Dimentio is- _Going to betray you."_ His eyes widened. Mr. L managed to get the first couple of words out, but his throat tightened before he could say the rest. He rubbed his throat, fear and anxiety bubbling inside of him.

Meanwhile, the Count blinked. "Yes? Dimentio is what?"

"He's trying to-" Just then, his cheeks grew hot. His stomach rumbled. His saliva grew sweet. It was as if he would get sick at any minute. "I mean, let me start over. He- _lied to me and he's lying to you too!_ " The man in green shook his head. "Count, you have to listen!"

He sighed, reaching for his journal again. "Mr. L, if you need to talk about relationship troubles, please find someone else. Count Bleck is the last person that could help you right now."

"No, this isn't about that! I can't talk right now, but it's very urgent! Read my lips!"

"Listen, Count Bleck is sure Mimi has some free time on her hands. Can't you talk with her?"

Mr. L frowned. Yes, he enjoyed Mimi's company, but she was the one that he told frivolous jokes to. The one who gave him advice that would be impractical to most, like building a giant robot. He groaned, running his hands through his hair. "It's not her! It's not me either! It's you!" He said, pointing. Count Bleck narrowed his eyes. Mr. L turned away, embarrassment and misery coloring his cheeks pink. "N-No! Wait! That's not what I meant! You're amazing! It's just-"

Count Bleck sighed. "Nastasia! Could you come here for a moment?"

He groaned. "Oh, forget it!"

With that, Mr. L left the room. He barely acknowledged Nastasia, who approached upon hearing the Count. She turned her head back, watching him leave, then looked back to her master. "What's his problem?"

The Count rubbed his head. "Count Bleck doesn't know. He's having disagreements with Dimentio, I presume."

Nastasia shrugged. "I'm sure they'll work it out."

"Let's hope so. They deserve to be happy together." With that, Count Bleck grabbed his pencil and continued writing. " _My dearest Timpani, it's been quite awhile now. My heart grows more distant with each passing day, but I've never forgotten you. I pray we'll meet again in another life. If such things are even possible at this point..."_

Meanwhile, Mr. L went into his own bedroom and shut the door behind him. Taking a breath, he ran a hand through his hair. What should he do? The Count didn't believe him. He wouldn't even listen. Surely, Nastasia felt the same.

It wasn't their fault. No. Dimentio had cast a spell on him. Not only that, but he told such ridiculous lies! Mr. L felt like such a fool. There was no way Dimentio told him anything that resembled the truth. Nothing at all.

Mr. L began to pace around the room. "No. Wait. That can't be right. I mean, some of it had to be real. I'm from Brooklyn, New York. I have a brother and a mother and father who I love very much, but I'm not-" He gulped. "I-I'm not Luigi..."

He took a deep breath, trying to let his past come naturally. He had a father who worked to keep his family afloat. His mother worked as a waitress. They wanted something more out of life, just like their offspring. Mario wanted to be a hero. And Luigi wanted to do whatever Mario wanted...

"Luigi was an overachiever..." Mr. L whispered. He smirked. "The teacher's pet, I presume. He was the type who everyone picked on and Mario always had to come save his ass. Luigi was afraid of ghosts especially. And the dark. That's why going into a haunted mansion to save his bro was probably his hardest, yet _proudest_ accomplishment."

"His cousins, Wario and Waluigi, always picked on him. Mario tried his best to encourage him, but when he saved Pauline, the cameras and limelight seemed to swallow him whole. It didn't help that Mario joked with the paparazzi while Luigi just shut himself inside the house all day. That's why..." He gulped. "That's why I had to believe in myself. Take care of myself and work to be the best version of me. Because if I couldn't do the work...Then I'd just be like everyone else, working a dreary 9 to 5...And I'd never leave my brother's shadow..."

Mr. L let out a long sigh, turning to look at himself at the mirror. That was when three quick realizations knocked the wind right out of him. First, he knew a lot about Luigi that not even Dimentio had mentioned. Second, he began to tell Luigi's story as if it was his own, even using first person pronouns and speaking in an Italian accent. Third, his eyes were now a startling shade of blue.

The mechanic gasped. As it so happened, he forgot his mask in Dimentio's bedroom. With his new blue eyes, Mr. L was now a spitting image of Luigi. That was when he realized that he couldn't compromise. Either Dimentio was feeding him lies this whole time or he really was Luigi Mario...

His hands shook again. This time, the man in green couldn't go to the Count or Nastasia. Or Dimentio. Or O'Chunks. Not even Mimi. They either already knew or would never look at him the same. Worst of all, he didn't have his brother. His flesh and blood brother. Mr. L never felt so vulnerable...

"D-Dimentio was telling the truth..." He muttered. "I-I'm Luigi..." He sighed, running his hands through his hair. "Oh, what am I gonna do? What am I gonna do?" There was no way of winning in this situation. If he helped the heroes, he would betray the only family he could truly remember. If he did nothing, he would hurt his real family...

Mr. L took a deep breath. He chose the only solution that didn't seem to hurt anyone. "I'll have to wait and see." He closed his eyes. "Wait until the Count gives us another order..." Finally, he whispered, "Until then, I'll just pretend to be oblivious. Like I've never heard of who I really am..."

* * *

He felt hesitant around lunch time, but Mr. L headed downstairs anyway. He tried to remember how he met Nastasia for the first time, but only vague images came to mind. _The princess and King Incompetent were getting married._ He shook his head. _No, that can't be right...Those two goombas were there. How do they tie into this?_

When he approached the dining room, the others were there. Nastasia glared when she noticed him. "You're late. Again."

Mr. L grew tense. Nastasia stared angrily from under her glasses, as if she would shock him if he made the slightest wrong move. No. No, that couldn't be right. Mr. L rubbed his eyes and looked at her again. She only watched with a disapproving frown.

Thankfully, someone set a bowl in front of him. He stopped and glanced down at his food. It was full of brown broth, meat, carrots, and lots of Brussels sprout bits. He chuckled. Looking to O'Chunks, he asked, "Beef and Brussels sprout stew?"

"Aye. After all, I know ye love meh stew," O'Chunks muttered sarcastically.

Mr. L sighed. He didn't think it was as bad as he described during that training session, but he could see O'Chunks still felt upset about that. "You gotta learn to take a joke." O'Chunks didn't respond. Next, Mr. L glanced at Dimentio, trying to read his thoughts. The magician slurped his soup, not even looking in his direction. The man in green narrowed his eyes.

Mimi broke the silence. "So, Nassy! Where's the Count?"

"He won't be dining with us tonight. He's not feeling too well."

"Oh dear!" Dimentio chimed in, looking up. "I hope he feels better soon!"

"Yeah, I agree with Dimmy for once!"

"Oh, come now! Where's ye faith? Our Count's not one te back down! He'll get better soon enough!" O'Chunks said.

"Exactly. O'Chunks is right," Nastasia agreed. "Don't worry about him. Speaking of the Count, he has been studying the Dark Prognosticus a lot lately. The Light Prognosticus as well. It turns out this hero situation might take care of itself."

Mr. L furrowed his brows. O'Chunks showed a spark of interest. "Really? What does teh book say, lass?"

"At the duel of the Hundred, the hero will meet with dark powers of purest chaos. If you fall to the Hundred, the chaos world grows and the Purity heart fades. And as that happens, the hero will fall to the world where all games are ended," She quoted. She quickly added, "That's from the Light Prognosticus."

Mr. L froze. He put his spoon down, losing his appetite.

"Oh, I get it!" Mimi said. "So the heroes will try to fight a hundred baddies and then they'll lose!"

"Then the Chaos Heart will destroy that world and everyone in it, including them!" Dimentio agreed. "Marvelous!"

"It's too bad, really," O'Chunks said. He cracked his knuckles. "I was looking forward teh gettin' chunky on 'em!"

"Speak for yourself! I haven't had any action in forever!" Mimi cried.

Mr. L forced himself to speak. "W-Wait! That can't be right!" He turned. "Nastasia, are you sure that's what it says?"

Nastasia shrugged. "I'm pretty sure. Who knows? Maybe it already came true."

His eyes widened. His heart skipped a beat. Meanwhile, the others cheered. Gigging, Mimi said, "We should totally celebrate this!"

"I agree! The Count's vision is that much closer to becoming a reality!" Dimentio turned. "Don't you think so, Mr. L?"

Mr. L ran his hands through his hair. "N-No. That can't be true!"

The minions looked among themselves. "What be teh matter with yeh, laddie?" O'Chunks asked, sounding concerned for once.

With a tilt of her head, Mimi asked, "Is it because you can't fight them again?"

"It will be easier this way, Mr. L," Dimentio whispered. "You'll see!"

He buried his face in his hands. "N-No. No, it won't..."

"L? Are you doing okay?" Nastasia asked.

"No, I'm..." Before he could finish, Mr. L heard a deafening _SMASH!_ It reminded him of a lightning strike, scorching whatever it touched. He froze, not being able to move for a moment. He felt a twinge of fear, looking around the table. Suddenly, he didn't recognize anyone there. Their names were so close, but too far from his reach. He knew the blue girl from somewhere. Wait. Of course! She ganged up on him! And then...And then...

Luigi stared at his hands. They felt so alien to him, like they weren't even his. Where was he? What was he doing? Was Mario...Really gone? The room started to spin and he started to feel lightheaded. He muttered, "I-I'm..." He fell. They all shouted the first initial of his name, these total strangers.

A goomba caught him, bringing him back to reality. "Are you alright, Lui-Er...Mr. L?"

Luigi glanced at the goomba. His eyes were a light shade of crimson. Gary. He was there when it happened!

Luigi stood. "Y-You! S-Stay away from me!"

"L, it's alright..." The muscle man started.

"No! No, it's not alright!" Luigi looked around the table. The jester's smile scared him the most. He clenched his fists. "What is wrong with you people? Rejoicing in the death of an innocent man! Don't you know that Mario is...Is my..." Tearing up, Luigi stood and ran away from Gary.

"Mr. L, wait!" The blue girl called. He ignored her, finding it more difficult to run as he got farther and farther away. However, thoughts of hatred made him keep going. _I'm not one of them! I was never meant to be one of them! They're all liars! I hate them! I hate all of them!_

The man in green twisted the doorknob and yanked the door open. Count Bleck looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Mr. L, Count Bleck already told you. He's busy at the moment. Are you really in dire need of assistance right now?"

Angry tears spilled down Luigi's cheeks. "You..." He clenched his fists even tighter, feeling them shake.

Count Bleck blinked. "Mr. L?"

"HOW COULD YOU!?" Luigi rushed towards the Count. The latter leaped into the air and levitated, watching his former minion with narrowed eyes. Luigi sprung into the air and punched Count Bleck in the face. The man cried out. Luigi tried to punch him again. This time, his hand smashed into a barrier. A strange vibration went up and down his spine, sending him back down. Luigi hit the ground, groaning as pain soared through his back.

He sat up, glaring. "Why? Why did you let my brother die!?"

"Your brother, Mr. L?" Count Bleck floated back down, landing gently on the floor. "Count Bleck sees you've learned the truth." Luigi cried out and ran towards him, slamming into the barrier. A sharp sting. The man in green cried out, squeezing his hand.

Just then, the blue girl ran into the room. "Mr. L, stop!"

"Shut up!" He snapped. "I'm not your puppet anymore! I know who I really am!"

She gasped. "What? No! That's impossible! No one breaks free from my hypnosis!"

The green girl followed. A strong man appeared right beside her.

"L!" The girl cried.

"What's gotten into yeh, lad!?" Her friend added.

Luigi kicked. He punched again. He slammed into the barrier. Nothing worked, the pain growing with each attempt. Count Bleck stared from the safety of his barrier. Every time a stranger tried to pull him away, Luigi pushed them aside and kept up the fight.

Only the jester remained in the doorway. The girl cried, "Don't just stand there! Do something!"

Smiling, he replied, "I'm not sure if I can."

Count Bleck raised his scepter. Suddenly, Luigi floated in the air. He thrashed and cursed, but nothing made a difference. A strong force sent him flying into the wall. _SMASH!_ Luigi fell, every inch of his body throbbing. Taking a few steps forward, Count Bleck said, "You might as well stop now, Mr. L. You are outclassed here."

The human looked up pitifully. He sounded weak when he asked, "Why did you kill him? He did nothing to you! All he ever wanted was to be hero! To make people's lives better! How could you take that anyway from him? Anyway from me?"

Count Bleck turned away. "Mario was the hero of the Light Prognosticus. He had to be stopped."

The man in green trembled. "I hate you. You're the most horrible person I've ever met! You're willing to destroy everything just because of some girl!"

The leader's eyes grew wide. _SLAP!_ Luigi cried out. Slowly, he put a hand to his face. His cheek burned. The impact left a mark, no doubt. Even the Count's followers cringed, except the jester, who stared with no emotion. "That is enough," Count Bleck said coldly.

"No..." That was when everything piled on top of him. Luigi loved these strangers, but he hated them too. He was made for the Light Prognosticus or the dark one or both. Contrary ideas swirled in his head about who he should be and how he should feel. He only knew one thing for certain: his older brother, the one of his dreams, was gone forever. _"No, mio fratello...Prego!"_ With that, Luigi burst into tears and hid his face.

Count Bleck turned. "Nastasia." The blue girl flinched and stood straighter. "Apparently, Mr. L knows of things that don't concern him. You must help him get back on track."

She hesitated. "But...Count…"

"Did Count Bleck stutter, Nastasia?"

Nastasia frowned, staring at the floor. "Yes. Right away, sir."

"Wait a minute!" The Scotsman spoke up. "Yeh mean to tell me that our Mr. L was nothin' but a brainwashed slave all along!?"

"Count Bleck wouldn't say slave. We certainly gave him more rights than one," He said. "I like to think of him as a servant. Yes, one of Count Bleck's servants..."

Luigi looked up, feeling intense bursts of pain in his hands. Nastasia noticed. She whispered, "Count..."

"And once he returns to that state, Count Bleck wants none of you to speak of this…"

The man in green stood. The pain grew more intense, like knives digging into his hands. For once, Luigi wasn't scared. A bitter, dark seed took root inside of his heart, welcoming the pain. "Count Bleck..."

"Luigi, don't!" Nastasia cried.

The man in green rushed towards him, his hands full of powerful electricity. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!"

Count Bleck turned towards him. Luigi rushed forward and shoved his hands in his direction, allowing his deadly potential to destroy him. The sheer amount of power lasted only for a few seconds. He opened his eyes and felt his energy drain instantly. Kneeling down, he tried to catch his breath. Beads of sweat trailed down his face. He glanced at the others. All of them looked at him in complete shock. Even the jester stared with wide eyes.

 _THUMP!_ Luigi turned and gasped. Nastasia withered on the ground, her skin a roasted brown. Her chest didn't move. Her glasses were scorched, the frames shattered. Her purple hair fell loose from its neat bun. No one said a word.

Quickly, the moment returned to focus. Mr. L felt everything catch up to him. "N-Nastasia? What? What did I...?" He stared at his hands. He looked at the Count, who seemed just as shocked as the rest of them. The man in green trembled. "I-It wasn't me...It was..." He stopped. How could he possibly explain what overtook him? The darkness begged for its master. Chaos ran through his veins, killing her. The one he thought of as a beloved older sister...

Running his hands through his hair, Mr. L let out a sorrowful scream.

* * *

Mr. L woke from his nightmare with a start. He gasped for breath, sweat trailing down his face. Jolting out of bed, the man in green ran out of his room. He went downstairs, stumbling down the last step, but quickly recovering and continuing to run. The mechanic ran into the hall, not knowing where to go. He looked around, feeling smaller than his surroundings. He was so fragile that the slightest touch could make him shatter into pieces. Losing his will to stay standing, Mr. L crumbled. He squeezed his knees tightly and let the tears fall freely.

He ignored the footsteps until he heard a certain voice. "L?"

He gasped and looked up. Her skin was a soft dark blue. Her glasses were perfectly in place. Her purple hair was tied into a messy bun. She tilted her head slightly. "Nastasia?" He whispered.

She smiled. "Hey. I didn't expect you to recover so quickly. How-?"

Before she could finish, he stood and hugged her tightly. "You're alive," He whispered. "Oh, Grambi! You're alive! I'm so sorry!"

For a moment, Nastasia didn't speak. "You must've had a bad dream..."

Mr. L let go and looked directly at her. "What happened?"

"You passed out during lunch," Nastasia explained. "Everyone was so worried about you!" She turned to the side. "Luckily, the goombas took you to your room. You were snoozing ever since. I thought you would sleep for awhile longer, at least until morning."

Suddenly, Mr. L remembered. His brother. "M-Mario?" He gulped. "The hero in red?"

She blinked. "He's fine. At least, he is for now." Mr. L couldn't help it. He let out a sigh of relief. Even so, Nastasia showed mostly concern. "L, I was just joking earlier! I guess I didn't do a good job of showing it. That isn't what made you pass out...Is it?"

He shook his head, forcing a smile. "No. No, of course not! Don't worry. Everything is fine, girlie!"

Nastasia narrowed her eyes. "Mr. L, I know you. You can't fool me with that talk."

The mechanic cringed. Turning away, he whispered, "Please don't call me that."

"Why not? It's your name, isn't it?"

He sighed, small pieces of that day returning. She was the one who gave him that name. "No, it's not. You know that as well as I do, Nastasia."

She furrowed her brows. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Mr. L stared at her. "The newspaper with the Mario brothers standing alongside Princess Peach. You destroyed it. Or someone destroyed it for you." Her eyes widened. The man in green wiped his face. "Every time I mention my past, you avoid it. And there's nothing in the library about that fourth hero. I've looked."

She was at a loss for words. "That's because-"

"It's me?" He interrupted. She gasped. Mr. L bit his lip, knowing this confirmed everything Dimentio told him. "Nastasia…I'm Luigi. Aren't I?" She didn't speak, so he went on. "I know that Mario's my older bro. I may have created Brobot in my image, but I really missed my twin. And...You made him out to be my enemy."

Nastasia noticed his sky blue eyes. She muttered, "Who told you?"

He shook his head. "That's not important. Why didn't _you_ tell me? Why couldn't I know about Luigi?" In truth, he knew the reason why she couldn't tell him. If he knew, Mr. L would never side with them. Still, his heart ached, knowing his family lied to him.

She let out a sorrowful sigh. "I'm sorry, Mr. L. Really, I am. There's just no other way." With that, she turned. "Gary. Kevin. Hold him down, please."

"Yes, ma'am!" They said in unison. Mr. L gasped, but they both approached from the shadows. _SLAM!_ They pushed him against the wall. Mr. L cringed, then noticed Nastasia. She started to lower her glasses...

 _ZAP!_ It was that vibration again, making him feel more like a metal spring. "Wh-What are you doing!?"

"Who are you? Tell me who you are!" She demanded sharply.

"I'm L-Luigi…"

 _ZAP!_ Her power stung this time. He winced. "Nastasia...This hurts!"

"T-Tell me. What is your n-name?"

All at once, Mr. L realized what she was doing. He had overcome everything. She was only resetting him, like he was a toy being bought back to factory conditions. He thrashed, but the two goombas held their grip. "N-No. Stop it, please! Mario needs-"

 _ZAP!_ This one suck the energy out of him. Suddenly, he lost the will to fight. Nastasia was right. He was the man in green of the Dark Prognosticus. The Count's best and most loyal minion. He was above the others. He was skilled and intelligent. No one held a candle to his power. He was...

"Now, what is your name?" She asked.

He blinked and gave a weak smile. "You should know, girlie. I'm one of the Count's best."

"I want to hear you say it," Nastasia said. Why did she sound so upset?

Mr. L smirked. "Alright. The name's Mr. L, the Green Thunder. Although...I'm getting sick of being at the same level of the Count's other minions. I'm the only one specifically called for in the prophecy, you know."

Nastasia stared. "And the hero? What do you think of him?"

His eyes widened. His hands shook. "The hero..." He glared, clenching his fists. He shouted, "I hate him!"

She nodded. "Hmm…"

Mr. L looked around the room. Two goombas watched from either side of him. One of them had red eyes and the other had plain brown ones. He glanced back at Nastasia. "How did I get here?" He rubbed his head. "I mean...Isn't it late?"

"You had a bad dream. That's all. Come on. I'll take you back to your room."

The man in green nodded. As he left, he thought he heard the goombas talking to one another. "It's a shame...He was so close."

"I know it. But we need him, Gary. Come on. I'm tired."

Mr. L frowned. Pitiful low-lives. He followed Nastasia to his room, knowing he could trust her. He always thought of her as a beloved older sister.

* * *

 _Canonically, Wario and Waluigi are two buddies who like to mess with the Mario Bros, although the four of them are not related by blood. But whatever. My alternate universe, though it only slightly deviates from canon and makes up stories to fill up the time._

 _I'm also planning on revising Swirls of Black and Green, which is the main story, because I made a lot of it up as I went and it kinda shows. Plus, I want to make the ties to this story stronger. I wrote the original one-shot around the time of Chapter 4 in SBG, so L explaining his backstory lines up, but the Lmentio thing was mostly a plot twist to some. This story had a rough outline that I tweaked along the way, so I feel it runs a lot smoother._

 _Also, I got a job! (I'm an Office Assistant for the Writing Center when I get back to school.) I plan to volunteer some as well over the break._

 _Next Time: Back to the game! (Don't know how long I'll keep up these "Next Time" pieces.)_

 _-Colorful and Free_


	13. Reset

Dimentio went downstairs that morning, trying to clear his head. He still wondered about Mr. L, who passed out yesterday during lunch. Something inside him knew that it was because he told him the truth. What did this mean moving forward? Was he going to be alright? He jumped when he saw him sitting on the couch, reading a book. "L?"

Mr. L looked up, then went back to his book. "Oh. Hey, Dimentio. What's up?" He didn't seem offended or angry. In fact, it was like they never fought at all.

Dimentio sat down next to him. "You passed out yesterday. I was wondering if you're feeling alright."

The mechanic glanced at Dimentio. "I passed out?"

"Yes..."

Mr. L rubbed his head. "I mean, I don't really remember that much about it, but if I'm feeling okay now, then it couldn't have been too awful..."

The magician grinned. 'Well, that's good."

He shrugged. "Yeah. I guess. Why do you care?" His tone was still neutral.

Dimentio got closer to him. "I was just wanting to make sure my dear friend is alright."

Mr. L laughed and went back to his book. "I'd say we're more acquaintances, but okie-dokie. Whatever you say, Dimentio."

Dimentio laughed. Acquaintances. "You're so amusing. Say, you aren't still mad, are you?"

The man in green furrowed his brows, putting his book down. "About what?"

"Our fight the other day."

Mr. L shrugged, offering a small smile. "Same with what I said about passing out, I suppose. You couldn't have said anything too hurtful. We're still friends."

Dimentio laughed. "Ha-ha. Very, very funny! You mean to tell me you can't remember _anything_ that what was said?"

Mr. L shook his head. "No. Not really."

The magician froze, staring at Mr. L. The man in green looked back at him as if nothing ever happened between them. He talked as if they were mere acquaintances or even distant friends at best. Of course, the biggest giveaway was that he didn't appear to resent Dimentio at all. He didn't even remember what was said. "You're serious?" He asked. Mr. L nodded. Dimentio felt his eyes grow wide. "Mr. L..."

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

Slowly, he asked, "Have you met with Nastasia recently?"

Mr. L rubbed his head. "Last night. I had a bad dream."

It was true then. Dimentio bit his lip, watching his former love with a pained expression. "Oh, L..."

The man in green finally seemed to notice. He blinked. Softly, he whispered, "Dimentio? You okay?"

The jester stared. No. No, he couldn't accept this. He moved even closer to Mr. L. That innocent expression of his made Dimentio feel weak at the knees. Maybe he would love Luigi if he met him. Maybe he wouldn't. After all, Luigi could never capture what Mr. L alone seemed to have. Dimentio grabbed his shirt collar and gave him a kiss on the lips.

This version of Mr. L put up with it for a few seconds before pushing Dimentio away. He stared with shock and surprise, cheeks burning a light shade of red. "D-Dimentio, w-what are you doing?"

The magician was silent, sweat trailing down the side of his face. That was more or less the same reaction that Mr. L had the first time, although he was even more surprised than before. He knew in his heart that he could take the same actions, say the same words, and get the same outcome. The difference would be that Dimentio meant it this time.

There were only two major problems. First, everyone would look at Mr. L funny if he went and repeated his reactions to Dimentio's confession. Second, they didn't have nearly as much time as they did before. The magician doubted he could the man in green back to that docile, curious state _and_ persuade him to betray the Count. Maybe he could tell him who he really was right here and now?

No...There was only one choice now. One chance to try and make their twisted romance work. Dimentio took a deep breath and made a decision, forcing himself laugh. "I-I was just pulling a prank! Ahaha!"

Mr. L blinked. "Dimentio?"

"It's funny! It's a joke!"

He smiled. "Dimentio. If you're gay, I don't care. You don't have to lie to me." He blushed. "I'm actually not straight either. I haven't told anyone yet, but I identify as bisexual. Although I prefer girls over guys..."

Dimentio shook his head. "No, no! I don't love you! I-I was just acting on a dare! I only did it because I was curious!"

Mr. L crossed his arms, staring at his feet. "Oh."

"Yes, but I won't tell anyone your sexuality!" He blurted out. _Everyone knows, you fool. Thanks to you._ His smile grew a bit too wide.

The man in green rolled his eyes. "Well, you could've just asked." He smirked. "Of course...If you really do have a crush on me, then you have my applause. And a nomination for Most Comedic Confession." He laughed, shaking his head.

Dimentio felt his cheeks growing hot. "Uh..." He pointed at the ceiling. "A distraction!"

Mr. L looked up. "Huh?"

With that, the magician snapped his fingers and disappeared. The man in green looked around, noticing his friend was gone. He sighed and returned to reading his book. "I'll never understand that guy..."

Two days later, Dimentio walked around the back of the castle in his true form. The night sky and chilly air wrapped around him, making him feel a bit more focused. He sighed, chewing his nails. He noticed one of his fingers bleeding and licked the blood.

He knew he was supposed to be asleep, but he couldn't stay that way for long. During most of his stay at Castle Bleck, Dimentio had a path and he followed it without fail. Now that Mr. L won his heart, he wasn't sure what to do.

It didn't help that the man in green's personality and relationships reset. According to Mimi, he didn't talk to her much. He greeted her once, but he called her by her real name, as if they never grew close enough for her to have any strange nickname. He also didn't joke with her as much. Needless to say, she felt offended.

Mr. L went back to joking and sparing with O'Chunks, much to the latter's delight. "Between ye and me, I was startin' teh wonder what I was so mad at 'im about..." O'Chunks whispered. "He's a funny lad, though his ego does get a bit inflated. Now that he's talkin' te me again, I feel good. Maybe I can have another shot with 'im..."

Though he never saw this himself, Dimentio was sure how Nastasia fared. She must have given the Count a report about what Mr. L said and how she changed him back into an obedient, perfect minion. He clenched his fists. "Although, I'm sure you neglected to mention that he doesn't remember a thing of our previous relationship..." Dimentio whispered bitterly.

He forced himself to calm down, sighing and stretching. "Then again, he doesn't remember my plan either. Maybe it's for the best. After all, who would ever truly want me anyway?" Dimentio turned, noticing a light on in the garage. He went inside, hearing snoring. Looking around, he noticed Mr. L asleep at the bottom of his machine's feet. The magician scanned the machine and admitted that Mr. L's progress was admirable. Brobot L-Type was nearly complete, now with hands and small boots of his own. Maybe there was a method to his rapid work schedule after all.

Mr. L shivered, turning over. In a small voice, he whispered, " _F-Fratello,_ n-not yet. We're not ready..."

Dimentio blinked. Why was Mr. L speaking in an Italian accent? Then he remembered. Dimentio walked up to him, stroking his hair. Although he was in the default suit Mimi designed for him, he didn't have his cap or mask in sight. Dimentio also noticed purple bags under his eyes. He stoked his cheek. "I'm sorry. I may not know the real you, but...I love you, my dear Mr. L..."

Next, he picked him up and teleported them to his bedroom. He moved the blankets aside and set him down on his bed gently. Mr. L turned over, muttering to himself. Dimentio chuckled. Who knew what he was dreaming about? He covered him with blankets and kissed him on the cheek.

* * *

Mario lead the others through town when they heard a loud rumble. The townspeople stopped what they were doing to look up at the sky. The Void slowly grew wider. Next, the townspeople whispered among themselves with worry. "The Void..." Tippi whispered. "It looks as though it's gotten bigger. We need to open the door to the next world quickly. Let's hurry..."

They passed by Merlon's house. The elderly wizard stood outside his door, noticing them approach. "Oh ho. You're back!" Merlon greeted. "Have you seen the sky lately? The Void continues to grow larger. I imagine that some worlds have already started to decay. I wonder how long our dear Flipside will be spared?"

Tippi gasped. "The Light Prognosticus doesn't say anything about how long we have?"

Merlon sighed. "The Light Prognosticus was only written to counteract the dark one. As such, it's not truly prophetic, so it's hard to say how long we really have. And yet...I feel confident in saying that we do not have much time at all."

The rainbow pixel looked among Mario and the others. "Well, we can only go forward now. We can't just wait for all worlds to end, can we?"

"Of course you're right, my dear!" Merlon agreed. "I received a message from Norlem recently..It seems that someone on the outskirts of Flopside has spotted a Heart Pillar. As you're no doubt seeking the next Heart Pillar, that is a good place to start. I will go back to the Light Prognosticus to look for clues." Merlon went inside his house.

Bowser sighed. "Great. We gotta find another Heart Pillar. Should we go to the fortune telling lady again?"

"I don't think so. After all, if Flopside is just Flipside switched around, then it has to be somewhere we've already been!" Peach said.

"Either way, let's get going. We've spent too much time here as it is," Mario told them. With that, Tippi and the three heroes continued on their quest to save the world.

* * *

Mr. L took off his helmet, sweating. He grabbed his washcloth and let it fall against his head. Smiling, he checked his watch. "I think we're finished, bro. Only got..." He frowned. It was 2:35. "Wait. The meeting started 5 minutes ago." Mr. L shrugged and leaned back against Brobot L-Type's feet. It took a few seconds for the panic to set in. "5 MINUTES! Oh, Jaydes!" Standing up, Mr. L dusted himself off and left the garage.

He ran down the hall, where not many people were for once. He opened the door and stepped inside the meeting room, panting. No one seemed to notice him. Frowning, he cupped his hands around his mouth. "HEY, COUNT!?" With that, he did his super jump, landing calmly on his platform. He didn't see the Count anywhere, but Nastasia stood on her platform, punctual as usual.

He grinned. "My destructive little friend is all gassed up and itching to get back in action." His grin grew when he added, "Yes, Brobot is _begging_ me to take him out! Say the word, and I'll roll out!"

Nastasia stared at him. "Yeah, great enthusiasm, but let's shelve the robot action plan for now, 'kay? The thing is, the Count kinda left specific orders for us to stand by. Got that?"

Mr. L frowned, but didn't say anything. Mimi pouted. "No way! We're just supposed to wait here for that big, mean hero to come get us?"

Apathetic, Mr. L added, "So...The Count _doesn't_ need my services?" He sighed. "Excellent. I'll just be off, then."

Nastasia gasped. "YOU GO NOWHERE! We wait! It's the count's direct order! His word is absolute! Be a good little minion and DO NOT MOVE UNTIL TOLD!" She said with a stomp of her heels. Calmly, she added, "...'Kay? Thanks." With that, she left the meeting room.

Mimi groaned. "But I'm boooooooooored."

The man in green narrowed his eyes, turning to face her. "And Brobot craves his daily smash! I can't just loiter here! There's no action!"

Suddenly, they both heard laughter. "Hard to stay still when you pine for sweet vengeance, isn't it?" That was when Dimentio appeared on his platform.

At the same time, Mr. L and Mimi said his name. "Dimentio!"

"The Count's orders are all absolute, completely without exception, yes?" He stroked his chin, adding, "We shouldn't even dare to think about a secret sneak attack. Perish the thought! Defeating the hero would please the Count greatly, but we MUST follow orders!"

The two other minions looked to one another. Mimi grinned and said sweetly, "Oopsie! I just remembered something real important that I gotta do! Back in a jiffy! Bye!" She teleported out of the room.

Mr. L blinked, turning back to Dimentio. "Yeeaaah. Yeah. I've, uh, got to go deflavorize the Brobot's...uh...Flavorizer." He looked up, noticing that O'Chunks seemed exhausted and wouldn't report anything. Turning back to the magician, Mr. L added, "I'll return once everything's up to code. L-ater, Dimentio!" Next, he left the room. Mr. L looked out at the hall, blinking. He sighed. "Oh, Mimi! Where'd you go?"

That was when she appeared right next to him, smiling brightly. "Hey, L!"

The mechanic smirked, crossing his arms. "So, what's the plan?"

Mimi thought for a moment. "Hmm...I say you use your giant robot to blast him into smithereens! If he really is ready, that is."

"Perfect!" The man in green turned away, thinking. "So...What was that quote in the Light Prognosticus again? At the Duel of the Hundred..."

"HEY!" Mimi interrupted. "What about me?"

"What _about_ you?" Mr. L asked, turning back to face her.

The spider gasped, offended. "Like I said the other day, I haven't had any action in months! _You_ go after _me!_ "

He blinked. "You mean you wanna risk being destroyed into oblivion?"

"I'll only serve as a distraction! I have the power to flip in between dimensions, you know. You go after the world's been destroyed or whatever."

Mr. L sighed. "Okay. That seems fair."

Mimi stepped away from him, looking around. "You think Nassy's heard us?"

He shrugged. "I don't think so. If she did, she'd put us in our rooms, like a mom."

She giggled. "Or lecture us like a school teacher!"

That was when they heard his laughter again. "How terrific!" With that, he made himself visible. Mr. L stared, not at all surprised, as if he had seen this a million times. "Hey, Dimentio."

Mimi jumped. She placed her hands on her hips, frowning. "Dimmy! What the heck!?"

"Can I join in on your mischievous plans?"

The spider stroked her chin. "Hmm...Let me think."

She winked at her fellow minion. At the same time, Mr. L and Mimi said, "No!"

Dimentio snapped his fingers, defeated. "Figures. Well, I'll amuse myself for the time being." He crossed his fingers. "I'm crossing my fingers for you both! I'd bet on you two like an underdog horse entering the race at the last minute!" The two looked to one another and shrugged. After that, they left, talking with one another about their plan.

Dimentio watched them leave. As soon as they were gone, he allowed his fake smile to drop. Sighing, he created a petite ball of flame. He let it stay in his hand for a bit before putting it out. "This will hurt us both a lot, but it's for your own good. Prepare to meet your older brother, my dear..."

* * *

 _I thought about having an edgy breakdown as a response to L breaking up with Dimentio, but I decided that would slow the story down. So, instead of hitting rock bottom for his breaking point, Mr. L reset to factory settings. He could build his relationships with the others again, but that part would take time. Time that Dimentio could not afford. Not that L will forget their relationship entirely by the end of this. ;)_

 _-Colorful and Free_


	14. The End of a World

_Yeah, this chapter title is taken from the game, but it fits, okay? A literal world ending. Everyone seeing their "worlds" end or talking about it. Just...Shut up. Leave me alone. Also, Happy New Years' Day! Let's hope 2019 is awesome!_

* * *

The Light Prognosticus had a Herculean task for the heroes. King Sammer expected them to defeat his 100 Sammer Guys before they could touch the next Pure Heart. After the first few Sammer Guys, the heroes decided that they would take turns doing the fighting. Before they knew it, they were at their 20th Sammer Guy. He was a large, blue warrior with a long orange paddle-type weapon and he spoke in a deep voice. "SMOOSH! TO ROLLING THWOMP, THERE IS ONE THING BEST IN LIFE! ROLLING. SQUISH! I ROLL OVER YOU AND MAKE YOU FLAT LIKE SHEET OF PAPER!"

Bowser laughed, cracking his knuckles. "Okay, let me at this guy!"

As the battle commenced, Mario and Peach stood off to the side. "Go, Bowser!" Peach cheered. "You can do it!"

"Come on! Just scorch him already!" Mario added.

When Bowser defeated the Sammer Guy, he cried, "WHY DO YOU NOT SQUISH FOR ROLLING THWOMP? ROLLING AND SQUISHING IS NOT THE SAME AS IT WAS. YOU GO NOW. I HAVE LOST PASSION FOR SQUISH."

Just then, everyone heard rumbling and they looked at the sky just in time to watch the Void grow even more. "The Void is growing larger...We have to hurry!" Tippi cried.

"Hurry? Why not pause and savor the show?" A smooth voice asked. Just then, Count Bleck appeared above them. Smiling, he added, "It is already far too late to stop...Count Bleck!"

Bowser's eyes widened. He laughed nervously. "Who's the creepy clown with the cape? Count Bleck!"

Mario whispered to Peach, "Should we do something? He's right there."

She whispered back, "I don't know if we _can_ do anything right now. Something tells me he still has his barrier up. He could hurt you again!"

Count Bleck laughed, either oblivious to their conversation or showing his acknowledgement. "BLEH HEH HEH HEH! BLECK! The prophecy unfolds smoothly, thanks to the Chaos Heart! The light of each world will be snuffed out one by one!"

"Why would you want to do something so...Unspeakable?" Tippi spoke up.

"You QUESTION Count Bleck!? This worthless world's destruction matters not! Far better for Count Bleck to wipe it out of existence than let it remain!"

"How can you say that?" Tippi asked in disbelief. "That's...Horrible!"

Count Bleck narrowed his eyes. "Count Bleck scoffs at you! An insignificant Pixl lectures Count Bleck on what is right and wrong?"

"Tippi..." Mario whispered. "Maybe you should be quiet now?"

She ignored Mario. "This is not up for discussion! _You're_ wrong...And sick! All living things have a heart! They're _all_ priceless! You can't just...Erase them!"

"Of all things, you defend the heart? Nothing could be more worthless!" For just a moment, Count Bleck paused. He sighed, tipping his hat to hide part of his face. "All things are meaningless...Aside from Timpani, no treasure mattered in the least to me..."

The Pixl gasped. Quietly, she said, "Tim...Timpani?"

Count Bleck grinned. "Speak no more!" He stretched his wings out. "This world is dying under the monocled gaze of...Count Bleck! But don't let that stop you from trying to find a Pure Heart you will never acquire! BLEH HEH HEH HEH! BLECK!" With that, he disappeared.

"Oh, dear..." Tippi whispered.

"WORLD GOES SQUISH SOON!" The Sammer Guy shouted. "MUST TELL KING SAMMER! MUST NOT ACCIDENTALLY SQUISH KING AGAIN!" He ran to the door, rushing to the castle. The heroes had no choice but to follow. They passed a delicate garden of beautiful flowers, most of them pink, blue, and purple. Ignoring their sweet scents, they crossed to the next gate and found King Sammer waiting for them.

"Splendid! The heroes have arrived!" He ran to them. "We received word of your nasty run-in with that despicable Count Bleck fellow. So the legends _are_ true. Our ancestors truly did foretell these days!"

"King Sammer, we're sort of in a hurry here," Tippi said. "The Pure Heart, please."

"You haven't defeated all of my 100 Sammer Guys, but the situation is grave." He chuckled. "Oh, why not! Just for royal giggles! The treasure sits on the 26th gate. Go claim the Pure Heart that you so richly deserve!"

Mario blinked, sensing something was off. This was too easy. He brushed that thought aside and went to open the chest. After climbing a couple stairs, he crossed the dueling area and opened the chest. He quickly noticed a small bomb. He gasped, but it went off before he could move. The bomb went off in small flashes of heat. However, the heroes didn't suffer any injuries.

"But...But...That explosion didn't even turn you black with soot!" King Sammer cried. "That totally didn't even hurt you at all! This stinks!" He teleported in front of them. "So, you thought you'd just grab the Pure Heart?" He giggled. "You guys are so dumb! Mimimimimimimimi!" With that, the king disappeared. A small green girl wearing pigtails and a dress appeared in his place.

"Surprise, it's me, Mimi!" She said with a laugh. "You're so silly!" Pointing at them, she added, "Did you crazy heads think the king would give _you_ the Pure Heart? The king's probably tucked all cozy in a bed taking a nap in the castle! Making cute lil' snoring noises while his world goes bye-bye!"

Peach frowned. "Mimi! We don't have time for this! Get out of the way!"

She glared. "You DUMMIES! The only reason I'm even _here_ is to get in the way! I'm not all soft n' cuddly like the Count. Nighty-night! It's bedtime for you guys! NYAAAH!"

With that, she floated in the air, rubees swirling around her. She threw a couple right at Peach, one even slicing her cheek. "Ow!" Mimi giggled while Peach rubbed her face, trying to recover from the sting.

Bowser stepped forward. "Okay, let me at her!"

Mario pulled him back. "Wait! We need to think first, then act!"

Mimi chuckled. "Don't know if you have enough time for that, meanie!" With that, she flipped dimensions, rubees raining down on all three of them. Peach guarded herself with her parasol while Bowser used Barry to deflect.

That meant Mario took the brunt of the hit, crying out as the sharp edges cut his skin. "Thoreau, I think I need you again."

Boomer muttered, "Sss...Always Thoreau with you guys."

"Look out!" Peach cried as rubees approached them in waves. She grabbed Thoreau and threw a couple Rubees at Mimi, who cried out and flipped dimensions. Mario grinned and flipped after her, throwing her rubees right back at her. They continued this pattern with Mario having to take a couple Shroom Shakes to recover. Once they learned how to take down her defenses and attack, it was a rather easy fight.

Falling onto the wooden surface, Mimi cried out. "OUCHIE! That really hurt! You're just a bunch of big bullies who hit cute little girls!" She grinned, standing back up. "But it doesn't matter an eensy teensy bit! Everything's perfect!" Hands on her hips, she added, "What, don't believe me? Look up at the sky!"

They didn't think it was possible, but the Void grew even more. Tippi gasped. "The Void! It's enormous now!"

"Mimimimimimimi! Yep, I sure got you meanies to waste LOTS of your time!" Mimi said, tossing her pigtails back. "Guess you'll have to give up looking for that dumb Pure Heart now!"

"This psychotic girl was only trying to stall us!"

"Golly, you guys have really got your thinking caps on today, huh? Well, I did warn you that I was meaner than the Count! Anyhow, it's sure a big old bummer I can't stay to play more with you guys. But this place is about to go kablooey! Later, meanies!" With that, she disappeared.

Bowser groaned, stomping on the ground. "That little brat! Now what do we do?"

"We can't possibly keep fighting at this rate!" Peach cried.

"What other choice do we have? Come on!" Mario said, leading his fellow heroes out. They made it past four Sammer Guys, who didn't even bother with putting up a fight. The 25th Sammer Guy forced himself to laugh. "HA HA HA! We are doomed! It cannot be stopped! HA HA!" The sky flashed a blinding white light twice. The warrior kept laughing as he ran out of the gate.

"We're too late!?" Bowser cried.

"No! Not like this!" Tippi whispered.

With two more flashes, the Void grew to its maximum capacity. The next thing they knew, its dark power obliterated another world.

* * *

"Count Bleck..." Tippi whispered. She found herself next to the rainbow doors in Flipside. The three heroes were on the ground, unconscious. "I feel like I know him from somewhere..." She gasped. "Wait, I do! Or at least...I did! I did know him! But how? And when? Who is he? I can't remember..."

"Tippi?" A voice asked.

She turned, seeing Mario standing. "Mario...You realize..."

Before she could finish, Peach and Bowser woke up. The latter looked around. "Ugh...Whuzzat? Whozere? Bwah! What's going on here?"

"I'm a little discombobulated myself, so it's hard to say..." Tippi replied. "At the very least, we seemed to have returned to Flipside."

"But what of King Sammer and the Sammer Guys?" Peach asked. "And the Pure Heart..."

Tippi went to the dark blue door. "The door leading to that world still exists, it seems. I wonder...Do we dare go back in?" She thought for a moment. "Yes. Yes, I think we should go through."

Bowser hesitated. "Uh...Can't we take a democratic vote? I say nuh-uh!"

"Bowser, we'd have to go in either way," Peach muttered. "There's just no other way forward."

"What? No way! This isn't fair!"

Mario approached him. "Hey, think of it like this. If anything goes wrong, you can have Peach."

The Koopa King laughed. "Okay!"

Peach frowned. "Wait, what!?" Mario winked to show his bluff. The princess giggled, then shook her head. "Wait. Boys, we need to get serious, okay?" She went to the door and opened it. The usual darkness never seemed so intimidating. She blurted out, "Gentlemen first!"

* * *

Mr. L scanned the white, empty world around him. "So...This is what happens when the Void takes a world?" He felt a twinge of regret, but a voice in his head reprimanded him. _So what if it takes a million worlds? Think of your family!_

The man in green turned to Brobot L-Type. He smirked, though it didn't feel so genuine this time. "Ready to get this done, bro?" The robot didn't respond, as usual. Mr. L frowned. "I'm assuming your silence means yes." With that, he got inside and tried to find the heroes.

Soon enough, he found them. Princess Peach was a few feet in front of the Pure Heart. She was with her two friends and rainbow butterfly again. He pressed a green button and the windshield came down. He narrowed his eyes. _Seems like they haven't spotted the thing yet. Maybe I could take it real quick? Leave them wandering for who knows how long?_

"What's that over there?" The Pixl spoke up. The three headed towards the Pure Heart. "Could that be...It's a Pure Heart! It seems an impossibility, but it somehow survived the obliteration of this world! Something about it seems odd, though…"

Mr. L laughed. "This place is pretty bland now, isn't it?" He jumped down from his seat, facing them for a few seconds. He turned to the Pure Heart and found it lost its color and spark. "Hey, what's going on here? Looks like your Pure Heart got broken," He said in an apathetic tone. He smiled and added, "I guess Pure Hearts can't handle the end of the world. Heh. But, eh, whatever. I'll swipe it just for kicks." The mechanic picked up the Pure Heart and placed it in his bag.

That was when Peach walked up to him. Turning back to face her, he smiled and said in a smooth voice, "Hey there, gorgeous. Don't you know that a Chaos wasteland is no place for a stunner like you?"

She frowned. "I demand that you take off that mask and show us who you really are! Hmmph!"

He smirked, ignoring her request. "How about that Prognosticus! Anything the Count doesn't like...POOF! It never existed." Taking on his apathetic tone again, he added, "Look, I've got to run. Stay out of the Count's business if you want to live."

The princess' eyes widened. She changed tactics. "Even a masked man like you wouldn't watch a world die without feeling anything. You must see that Count Bleck's plan is totally mad!"

Mr. L narrowed his eyes. _You don't get it. He's going to find my family for me and remake these corrupted worlds._ "Still pushing for a fight, huh? Fine. Who am I to disappoint?" He raised his arms. "BROBOT LAUNCH!"

Just as before, Brobot L-Type swooped down in front of him. Beaming, he said, "Just check this thing out! This bad boy is sporting the _latest_ in brobotics! Meet my new friend, BROBOT L-TYPE!" He hoped in the front seat, shouting, "The Green Thunder strikes like lightning!" Mr. L smirked, eyes landing on Peach. "Hey, Ms. Pink n' Frilly! Try not to get kidnapped before I defeat you! Have at you!"

Peach glared, clenching her fists. Mario frowned, pushing away any thoughts of concern. "Oh, great. This guy again." He turned to Peach, flashing her a grin. "Don't worry, _mia principessa!_ I'll take care of it!"

Bowser got in the way. "I'll take care of it first!" He roared, but his fire didn't appear to affect Brobot L-Type at all. He glared. "What!?"

Mr. L laughed, pressing a button. A pair of hot green lasers scorched through. Peach used her parasol, but the other two moaned in pain. Rubbing the side of his face, Mario asked, "Hey, Tippi? Can you tell me his stats real quick?"

"The machine's Max HP is 64," Tippi began. "Attack is 5. Defense is 4. Defense against fire is 8. Most of its moves are the same, but it can now use its hands or tackle you... It seems to be weak to explosions..."

The fight was going smoothly. Mr. L used his brother's attacks while the heroes were defenseless for the most part. They got a few stomps in, but their feet were no match for Brobot L-Type. Then that voice returned. It seemed louder than before, with its own sound as well. _You need to stop. You know you care for them!_

"Come on, you two! We're losing to the green blunder again! We need to step up our game!" Bowser cried.

"Shut up!" He shouted, to both Bowser and the voice. To the voice, he added quietly, "I'm not going to listen to you. You already cost me one battle."

 _You know who you are. He told you. How could you forget that? Forget them?_

Mr. L groaned, pressing both the missile button and the one for lasers. "I said shut up!"

Peach used her parasol to defend herself against the missiles. Mario got hit with a missile, but he quickly used an item to defend himself against the lasers. It appeared to form an invincible block around him, similar to the Count's barrier that Mr. L heard about. Bowser faced the brunt of the laser attack.

"Bowser!" The princess cried. She turned back to Brobot L-Type. "Ugh...I've had enough of this!" She grabbed Boomer and threw it at the machine's feet. The Pixl cheered. "Alright! Yesss!" Within a few seconds, he exploded, delivering a harsh attack.

"W-What?" Mr. L whispered. "I didn't make him explosion proof?"

 _See? You were never supposed to win._

"Quit it! You're distracting me!" He tried to use missiles again, but he was interrupted by another explosion. Mario and Bowser cheered Peach on as she kept attacking. He got a few more attacks in, but the other two hereoes got out of the way while Peach used her parasol. As Peach and her Pixl delivered its last attack, Brobot L-Type started exploding once again.

Mr. L stared in shock. "Aw, WHAT!? No way! My Brobot L-Type shoots missiles! MISSILES!" With that, the machine fell apart. Mr. L fell in front of the heroes, not noticing the Pure Heart spill out of his bag. He stood, brushing himself off. "Preposterous! Why? Why can't I win!?"

"Well...It might be because you're weak," The butterfly muttered.

Mr. L growled. "You may laugh now, but the Green Thunder never forgets!" With that, the man in green ran away. Once he got far enough away from them, he stopped to take a breath. _Wait! The Pure Heart!_ Mr. L undid the strap to his bag and checked inside. Sighing, he closed it and put the bag back next to his hip. "Oh...Who cares? It's not like they can do anything with it at this point..."

He thought about the way he felt with Mario and the others. Where had he seen them before? Well...Where had he seen them _before_ the Whoa Zone, at the very least? He had worked so hard for this chance, yet he only felt frustration when they destroyed his metal brother again.

Not to mention he didn't feel as connected to Brobot as before. He could always build another one. Wait...Did that mean his need to be with that red fraud trumped the love and pride he felt for his own metal brother? Why did nothing make sense anymore!?

Panting, Mr. L muttered, "I don't know what it is about those guys, but I just can't seem to beat them!"

That was when he heard laughter. "Did they wound your fragile pride, Mr. L? Demolish your robot again?" The man in green wasn't even surprised when Dimentio appeared right in front of him.

"Oh, it's you again, Dimentio," He muttered. "I'm stumped. You'd think a giant robot would be enough to crush these heroes… " Mr. L turned around, not able to face his friend. "I'm a disgrace...There's no way I can show my face to Count Bleck after THIS!"

"Perhaps that is for the best," Dimentio replied.

Mr. L was thinking of a sarcastic response when he heard the jester use magic. He turned to face him when a burst of fire sprouted out of the ground. He jumped back just in time to dodge the flame. "Whoa, now! Hey! What are you doing?"

"You said it yourself. You can't go back to the Count now. So get lost," Dimentio said flatly. There was little malice, as if he was just stating facts.

The man in green narrowed his eyes, clenching his fists. "Not a funny joke, Dimentio..." He felt anger and betrayal rise from a suppressed place in his heart. "If I wanted to laugh, your face is inspiration enough!"

Dimentio laughed. "Such temper! Your nostrils, they flare out like the hood of a hissing cobra!" He added in a more serious tone, "I can't have you around the Count. If I am rid of you here, I won't be found out." He chuckled, adding, "And the others will never find you...Yes, this is my moment to grasp! It's time for you to take your final bow, Mr. L."

With that, he made a box appear out of nowhere. Mr. L gasped, looking around. He ran towards Dimentio, but he ran into the walls of the magic box. Shaking, he said, "H-Hey now! Whoa! What's this? You've lost your mind, Dimentio!"

The magician laughed, ignoring the voice in his head pleading for him to stop. "Shhh. Don't worry. It won't be so bad, I promise. I'll send those heroes your way soon, just so you'll have someone to play with." He snapped his fingers.

The next thing he knew, the man in green saw nothing but sporadic attacks of fire. The flames scorched through him and the last thing he heard was his own desperate screams. Soon, he was gone.

Dimentio smiled. With a wave of his hand, he said, " _Ciao_..Mr. L!" He prepared a quick teleportation spell. Forcing another chuckle, he added, "Or should I say... _Ciao_ , Luigi?"

* * *

 _In my outline, I literally had that last scene as "Dimentio betrays the burnt cinnamon roll" scene. Though I don't think Mr. L is burnt now. Just a little overcooked. Dimentio gets to be burnt._

 _This was a bit boring to write because most of it was from the game. Well, I suppose this chapter is a necessary one. Next time should be more fun to write. Also, I never understood why Dimentio didn't say "Ciao, Luigi." Even as a little child who didn't care about Mr. L that much, I didn't get it. Missed opportunity, folks!_

 _-Colorful and Free_


	15. Memories

_Blumiere sat in the garden, taking in all the nature around him. His family didn't have time to listen to him and he didn't get to see his friends as often. There were those in his family's court, but that boiled down to his father's most trusted advisers. He knew anything he told them would get right back to his father._

 _With nature, he felt like he was at peace. No expectations. No pressure. Nothing to do. Plus, his horse, Marcel, was a better listener than his own parents at times. Blumiere noticed a blue butterfly resting on a patch of yellow flowers. He stared for a few seconds before the butterfly flew away._

 _"Blumiere."_

 _He flinched, but relaxed when he saw it was just his grandfather. He resembled his mother with his soft violet skin and neat gray hair, but Grandpa Nero had a spark of childish innocence and youth that she lost. Blumiere wondered how Grandpa Nero kept that part of himself with so much on his shoulders._

 _Grandpa Nero sat down. "What's wrong, child?"_

 _Blumiere hesitated. "I will be 21 soon. That means I'll be of age to rule the Tribe of Darkness, should anything happen to Father…"_

 _"You don't want to rule."_

 _He shook his head. "No, that's not it. I feel that I'm more than ready to take care of my people. It's Ariana."_

 _Grandpa Nero blinked, not understanding the problem for once. "She's a lovely lady."_

 _"But she's so reserved and shy! She's as fragile as glass."_

 _"Perhaps she is anxious? I'm sure she has a lot on her mind."_

 _Blumiere turned, frustrated. "And I don't?" He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I can't possibly marry her one day. She'll just let me do whatever I want, like Mother acts around Father. Nothing new or exciting, just the same old tradition and jewels." Grandpa Nero frowned for a moment. Blumiere cleared his throat. "I mean...She's lovely and all, but…"_

 _"Lady Ariana is just your age and she comes from a good family. Well-educated and very polite as well. I've met her parents once or twice."_

 _The young man frowned. "Oh, so you're already playing matchmaker?" He turned away. "It's not like you'd understand. You and grandmother actually loved each other before tying the knot."_

 _"I miss the days when you called her Nana…"_

 _He narrowed his eyes. "That doesn't sound mature." Blumiere glanced at his grandfather, feeling fatigue overtake him. He sighed and rested his head on his grandfather's lap. He was probably wearing something more regal underneath his warm, green cloak, but Blumiere didn't mind._

 _Grandpa Nero patted his grandson's head. "I understand how you're feeling. My little Laurette was a bit apprehensive when she met your father, but they made a good match."_

 _Blumiere hesitated, remembering last night's beating. He could never bring himself to talk about the abuse with Grandpa Nero. He didn't want to imagine the look on his face when he found out. Besides, would he even believe him? The young man said simply, "Yes. Of course."_

 _"You've grown so fast, Blumiere. This may not mean much, but I'm very proud of you."_

 _The young man sat back up. He looked at Grandpa Nero, seeing warmth and kindness in those silver eyes. "Grandpa Nero…"_

 _"Yes?"_

 _Blumiere moved his new monocole away from his left eye. Once he covered his right eye, everything became significantly blurry. He thought of a pretty blonde girl that he knew. Timpani cared little for a life of riches. As a poor country girl, she valued nature and authentic relationships. Although she seemed more like a people person, she also appreciated peace and quiet. At the thought of her, Blumiere felt his heart soar._

 _He glanced at his grandfather, who was now watching him out of curiosity. How could he tell him that he had fallen for a human? Although he was more open-minded in some ways, Grandpa Nero still grew up in the Tribe of Darkness, where everyone had a hatred of "the human weaklings" drummed into them as young as possible. Even now, Blumiere caught himself humming an anti-human tune occasionally, one that he learned as a child._

 _Still, he decided it was worth the risk. Blumiere whispered, "Could you keep a secret?"_

* * *

Count Bleck stared into his tea cup. He added a spoonful of honey and stirred before taking another sip. _I don't often think of the past if I can help it. For once, I'd rather think of her._ He sighed. _Grandfather...Of all people, I never wanted to hurt you._

Count Bleck glanced at the strawberry strudel on his plate. He pushed it away, having lost his appetite. Still, he remembered this was Mr. L's favorite flavor. At least he had an explanation for why he went softer on him than the others. Although Mr. L was about five years older than Blumiere when he died along with his former dimension, he still reminded him of his former self. _Perhaps I was too dismissive of him the other day. Maybe I can check in on him. See how his machine is coming along..._

"You seem lonely," A familiar voice commented.

Count Bleck offered Nastasia a small smile. "I'm fine. I can eat by myself every once in awhile, can't I? Besides, I'm starting to believe we're the only morning larks in the castle." Nastasia grinned and sat at the table, setting her cup of coffee down. She revealed her hairbrush and started brushing her long, purple hair. He laughed softly, something that happened rarely these days. "Must you brush your hair at the table?"

Nastasia giggled, another rare occurrence. "It's always a mess in the morning!"

He laughed with her before noticing there were bags under her eyes. He narrowed his eyes. Nastasia rubbed her eyes and yawned, putting her hair back into a neat bun. "Um...Count?"

"Yes, Nastasia?"

She hesitated. "Um..." Her eyes landed on the strudel. "Are you going to eat that?"

He passed the plate to her, but still noticed her nervousness. Nastasia stared at the table with a worried look on her face. She took a bite of the strudel, looking past him. "You think we could talk in private after I'm done?"

Count Bleck noticed the servants who were still putting dishes away. "If you wish." Nastasia quickly finished eating. As they left the kitchen, she placed the small dish in the sink. Count Bleck nodded to a minion who was washing dishes. Even now, he had people who took care of the housework for him. Some things never change.

In the meeting room, Nastasia rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah, so we just got a quick ping from Dimentio? We've had a little insubordination. Yeah, according to his report, our Mr. L took on a hero-fighting initiative." Count Bleck froze. Quickly, Nastasia blurted out, "I accept full responsibility. It was my administrative breakdown that allowed this."

Part of him broke away just then, leaving the rest of him to respond. He spoke quietly. "I see, remarked Count Bleck. Well, what is done is done. This prophecy will not be fulfilled without sacrifice."

Nastasia stared at her platform. "So, 'kay...Um, and just another quick update on Mimi. Yeah...She, um...Also left the castle."

Count Bleck turned to her. "Did she now? Well, Count Bleck will leave you to dispense the minion discipline."

She looked up, apprehensive. "Count...Um, you seem...A bit different today. New monocle? Or did something happen?"

For a moment, Count Bleck wanted to tell his closest confidante about what he saw with the heroes. Not even Nastasia seemed to notice the fact that he sneaked out on an impulse feeling yesterday. Unfortunately, the part of him who wanted to tell was also the part who broke off, too weak to care for the whole. "Count Bleck feels fine...Leave me."

His assistant tilted her glasses and straightened up. "Oh, um, of course, yeah...Please excuse me." With a respectful bow, Nastasia left the room. Once she Count Bleck allowed his feelings to return. Mourning for Mr. L. Worry for Mimi. And of course, something familiar that he couldn't quite name for the hero's butterfly Pixl...

He tipped his hat, shielding part of his face. "Could that Pixl have been...Timpani?" He considered the idea for a moment before brushing it aside. He shook his head. "No, no. Completely impossible. I should know that better than anyone. Besides, it's far too late to do anything now. The prophecy has been set in motion and no one, not even I, can stop it. No one can stop this now..."

* * *

He found himself in a place of darkness. The sky was gray with a dry dirt road. Although occasional purple and blue fauna grew, the place was still dull. Not to mention the air stunk like a dirty sock. Sure enough, though, a creature came and told him everything. This was the Underwhere, where the dead end up after their games end.

He wasn't sure how to react. He heard of this place before, but he expected something more sinister and dark. Not knowing what to do, he dusted off his blue overalls and took a walk. The only thing that bought him satisfaction was dipping his fingers into the orange fountains, where he felt alive and healthy right away. Why did Dimentio do this?

He quickly found an answer as he saw rapid visions of the past. They kissed and danced and even took each other's virginity one night. He found his cheeks burning. Now he remembered. How could he forget something so important? Nastasia. She did it to him just as she did to the Count's lower class minions. But why? Why?

Information from the past flowed through his mind. Too much. He had to clear his head. Within no time at all, he found someone to flow him across the river. Luckily, he had enough coins on his person to pay for one trip across the purple, menacing ocean.

The man in green tried to calm down while he sorted through this new information. If he was Dimentio's boyfriend at one point, then what did the others see him as? A friend? A brother? A cursed one, meant to serve a dark book? And why did he want to protect Mario? Why did he work so hard on his machines, just for one more chance to see him? Why were his friends familiar? Why-?

 _"Your real name is Luigi Mario,"_ Dimentio's voice said.

His eyes widened. He was right! That's why Nastasia erased his memory! He stood from the boat, exhilarated. "Luigi Mario! My name is Luigi Mario! I'm the fourth hero!"

"Hey! Watch it. You want to turn the boat sideways?" The boatman snapped. But he didn't care. He finally had a name and a family. He was Luigi. No, wait. He was Mr. L, the Green Thunder. Was he both? Neither? Who was he? What was he supposed to do?

 _Take my hand. I'll show you everything you need to know._ He jumped upon hearing the whisper. It felt as if it was spoken into his ear, but the boatman was on the other side of the boat. He looked into the water, holding the edge of the boat and peering down. "Huh? Who are you? Are you down there?" _Come closer. Closer._ That was two whispers speaking over another. He leaned forward, curious.

That was when one hand burst out of the water. He screamed. The hand squeezed his wrist. As he fought back, another hand appeared, grabbing his other wrist. "Hey! Let him go!" The boatman cried, but the hands didn't loosen their grip. If anything, they got tighter. He winced. Together, both hands dragged him into the water. Right away, he felt himself become lightheaded. Everything spun around him.

He hurt Mario. How could he have done that? What kind of a brother was he? "M-Mario..." He whispered, eyes closing. "I'm so sorry...Please...Forgive me..."

* * *

Nastasia couldn't help but feel responsible for what happened. She started to love Mr. L like the brother she never had. Even though he tried to deny it, Nastasia saw how Count Bleck grew more distant after hearing the news. Or was it something else? Did he do something on his own again? Still, Nastasia enjoyed talking with him at the table this morning. She didn't get to speak with the man that she once knew very often anymore.

She felt dread upon approaching Mimi's door. Anyone with eyes could see how close she was to Mr. L, who she once dismissed as "a total loser." Nastasia knew she wouldn't take this well. Still, someone had to tell her. She knocked on the door. "Mimi?"

Silence. That was unusual. "I'm coming in!" Nastasia opened the door. Her eyes widened. The drapes were torn and furniture was knocked over. A few of the dresser drawers were left open while clothes from both the dresser and the closet were on the ground. The trash can was on its side, spilling garbage. There were also cobwebs in nearly every corner.

Mimi was wearing a black dress, crying and holding her knees close. Nastasia went to comfort her when she stepped on something squishy. She lifted her foot and saw a dead bird, stomach bleeding. _EEK!_ Nastasia ran her shoe through the carpet over and over. "Mimi!"

The small girl looked up, eyes red and mouth bloody. "WHAT!?"

Nastasia flinched. "Someone must have told you what happened..."

Mimi ran her hands through her hair. "Yeah, yeah! I get it, okay? It was all my fault!" She laughed. "Shame on me for wanting to do something _nice_ for once, you know!?"

Nastasia rubbed the back of her neck. "N-No...That's not what I came here to say."

"Well, it must be if _you're_ here!" She said, still wearing that forced smile of hers. "You _never_ come here!"

"Listen, I just wanted to say-"

Abruptly, Mimi stood, clenching her fists. "It's always been easy for you! You're little Miss Perfect, always at the Count's beck and call! Better yet, he actually _likes_ you and tells you how he's feeling instead of pulling this _bullshit_ like he did for the rest of us!"

Nastasia frowned, holding back her anger. "It's not as easy as you might think. He doesn't open up to me all the time either."

"GET OUT OF HERE!" Mimi shouted, pointing to the door with tears rushing down her face.

"Mimi..."

"JUST GO!"

The assistant sighed. "Alright." She walked to the door. At the last second, she turned back. "Once you calm yourself down, you better clean up your room. Okay?"

The spider huffed. _"Why!?"_

"It's your punishment. For your insubordination." With that, Nastasia left the room.

Mimi went back to sobbing, holding the hem of her dress tightly. Shaking, she whispered, "Why did you have to leave me all alone? I never even got to tell you how I feel..."

* * *

Luigi opened his eyes and found himself underwater. He gasped, bubbles coming out of his mouth. He covered his mouth and heard shrill laughter. Luigi found four hands and swam back.

 _Did you find what you were looking for, boy?_ One of them slithered, although they had no mouths.

"W-What?" Luigi stammered.

 _Your heart pounds for a lost love..._ Another began in a slightly higher-pitched voice.

 _Yet you don't remember his name. How sad!_ A third said in a shrill voice.

 _How tragic!_ The last one said in a feminine voice.

 _How stupid and pathetic you are!_ The first hand added.

All four hands laughed. Meanwhile, Luigi blushed. _"H-His_ name?" He glared and punched all of them, electrocuting them. They screamed and shriveled to the bottom of the water. Luigi swam past them, muttering, "How the heck did they know about my old crush on Prince Peasley? Not even Mario knows about that..."

Luigi froze. "Mario." He ran his hands through his hair. " Oh God! Mario! Where is he?" He looked around, but his brother was nowhere in sight. "I-I have to find him!" He rushed to the surface and took in the sour air. Luigi stepped outside and noticed some those orange fountains. He dipped his fingers in one and felt instant relief. He smiled softly, feeling healthy and fresh.

When he took his hand away, his dread returned. Luigi looked up on the top of the cliff. "Maybe he's up there somewhere?" Luigi jumped, using the water the fountains provided as platforms. When he went to the cliff, Mario was nowhere in sight. Luigi ran his hands through his hair. "What if he's not even here? Oh, what am I gonna do?" The man in green sat down, wrapping his arms around himself and shaking. Sure, he looked pathetic, but who was there to judge?

After a few minutes, Luigi muttered, "Oh, boy...How'd I end up in this stinky place? Count Bleck's underlings grabbed me, I remember that...Then...And then..." He tried his best to remember anything after that, but nothing came to mind. "Oh, FORGET IT! I just wish somebody would come help me!"

"Hi!" A voice said.

Luigi jumped and whipped around. For a split second, he saw a jester smiling at him. However, the vision went away instantly and Mario stood before him. "Buh...Bro!?" Mario nodded, offering a smile. Luigi grinned. "OH YEAH! I missed you, Bro!" He went to him and hugged him.

"I-I missed you too, Luigi," He said. Mario let go of him to look at him. "Wait a minute. Why are you here?"

Luigi wiped his tears with his sleeve. "What? Huh? Why am I here? Well...I don't really know. I mean, where am I exactly?"

Mario turned away, muttering, "The Underwhere..."

His eyes widened. "What!? The Underwhere? The land of ended games? Bro, what are you saying!? " He ran his hands through his hair. "WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN!?"

The man in red scratched the back of his head. "Well...I mean, if you're here, then your game must be over." Luigi nodded. "And um...Mine ended too. I guess Peach and Bowser lost their lives as well..."

Luigi grinned, relief coming to his aid. "Maybe we're all scattered about here then?"

"Maybe. You see, Dimentio ganged up on us. Do you know who that is?"

Luigi shrugged. "The name rings a bell. He's one of Count Bleck's minions, right?"

"Right. He took us out in front of our friends. It was kinda scary, to say the least..."

"Uh-huh..." He stroked his chin. "Okay, I gotcha. So, my game is over." Luigi sighed. "Great. I guess one of Count Bleck's baddies must have done me in, just like you guys, huh?" He shrugged. "Well, everybody runs out of extra lives sometime, right? So, what should we do now?"

"Well, we can find Lubvi to start..."

Luigi blinked. "Lubvi? You're looking for someone named Lubvi?" Mario nodded. He smiled. "Hey, sounds good to me! After all, I'm loaded with free time! My game's over! I was feeling pretty low, bro. But now that you're here, I wanna jump for joy!" He rushed forward. "This looks like a job for Luigi!~" With that, he sprung down.

Mario ran after him. "Hey! Wait for me!"

Luigi did his super jump, laughing as he came back down. "Hey, who knows? Maybe this time, I can protect _you_ for once!"

Mario smirked. "In your dreams! Everybody knows you're my Player 2!"

"We'll see about that!" With that, the man in green grabbed his brother's hand and sprung forward. Nothing could bring Luigi down now.

* * *

 _I like to read stories about North Korea. They're pretty much taught to hate Americans ASAP, even using "American bastards" as units in addition and subtraction problems. (Ex: If you shoot two American bastards and your comrade shoots three, how many did you both kill?) Although this is very sad, especially since I'm an American, I still like to hear about defectors because it makes me appreciate what I have._

 _That's where I got the inspiration for the anti-human vibes in the Tribe of Darkness. They prefer to call them "human weaklings" in everyday speech because it's too respectful to just say "human", although they will call them that if they're more former. (Ex: Blumiere's father.) I even wrote an anti-human propaganda song, which will be featured next chapter. Blumiere soaked up this hatred until he met Timpani and the truth erased the lies he had been taught._

 _-Colorful and Free_


	16. Hidden Hearts

_The song below is an original song, so leave this alone, Fanfiction! Thank you._

* * *

 _He looked out the window, watching his child sit in the garden. He narrowed his eyes and turned to his wife. She smiled and knitted, singing a song they had grown up with._

 _"An angel of darkness will arrive_

 _Smiling and strong and sure_

 _His life_

 _Will be his sacrifice_

 _And our world will be most pure"_

 _He went to his wife, sitting next to her. Although the marriage was arranged, his father had hand-picked her to be his wife. She was eligible for him in every way. She lived in an upper class family and studied music for years; only wealthy children could choose what they studied. His wife was also graced with good looks and a kind personality. She submitted to him most of the time as well, as a proper wife should. With time, he had truly fallen for her._

 _Over the years, they had four children. She got along well with their oldest the most, but he had noticed something different about his behavior lately. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. Turning to her, he asked, "My dear_ _, have you spoken to that child yet?"_

 _She nodded. "Yes, I have."_

 _"Good. Because if he won't listen to you, then I'll have to step in."_

 _"Of course."_ _His wife had such a soft speaking voice, but her singing voice was angelic and pure. She chuckled._ _He smiled and started to laugh with her._

 _However, he felt nausea overtake him. He tried to swallow and hold it in, but the second he thought about water, he began vomiting. He stood and started to hobble towards his glass of water, but he fell on his knees and vomited more. He coughed into his hand and when he looked at it, his hand was covered in blood._

 _"Dimentio!"_ _The hybrid child turned and noticed a young woman rushing towards him. She wore the same black dress and pearls around her neck, only this time, she was human. She appeared at his side, lifting his head onto her lap. "Dimentio, my dear!"_

 _"_ _D-Diana…" He couldn't help but get sick again._

 _Diana knelt down, her hazel eyes gleaming with worry. She patted his back. "_ _It's going to be alright. Just let it out."_

 _He felt tears rushing down his face. Why did everything have to hurt? There was so much he wanted to say to her. Thank you. I'm sorry. You deserved someone who truly loved you. Diana stroked his dark hair, picking up her song._

 _"When the human weaklings cry_

 _He'll laugh in the face of their tears_

 _We will pick_

 _Hard stones and sticks_

 _Their screams will fall on deaf ears"_

 _The song had taken a harsh tone, yet Diana continued to sing sweetly. It was like a twisted lullaby. Maybe that was why everyone sang it as children and believed in the Tribe of Darkness as they grew older. Though the Dark Prognosticus was passed down from generation to generation in the founder's family, the tribe still held on to its doctrines about the Angel of Darkness. They refused to acknowledge that in the later pages, the book referred to its chosen one as the Champion of Destruction._

 _Although he was still sick, Diana stood and left. He tried to wipe the tears from his face, but he froze upon hearing the voice change again. This time, the singer had a deep, smooth singing voice. It was clearly a male this time. Not only that, but Dimentio loved the voice's owner. He turned and noticed a man in a dark suit stood in her place, covered in blood._ _He sang the song with a smile, eyes closed. Dimentio crawled towards him, vomiting, grabbing his gray boots as he sobbed._

 _"The Tribe of Darkness will proudly rise_

 _We'll paint their streets dark red_

 _For don't you know_

 _They're evil foes_

 _The only good hu-man"_

 _The man in green opened his eyes, revealing a soulless bright blue. His smile never left as he spoke the last line. "_ _Is one that's dead!"_ _With that, he kicked Dimentio in the face._

He woke up with tears streaming down his cheeks. The jester went to the door and peered outside. Dimentio went down the hall, making sure to float so the others wouldn't hear. He passed O'Chunks' room, then Mimi's, and finally he arrived at _his_ door. Dimentio opened the door and turned on the light, peering inside. The room was empty.

His heart sank. He knew no one would be in there. What did he expect? That Mr. L would suddenly appear in the bed, safe and sound? He tried to imagine what he might say. " _You dreamt that you killed me?"_ He would say with an amused grin. He would smile and laugh. _"Don't get any ideas, Dimentio!"_

Dimentio went to Mr. L's bed and laid there. He clapped twice and the lights went out. Sighing, he held one of the pillows close and allowed himself to change into his true form. For so long, he detested it because no shadowman would want anything to do with him because he was part human and vice versa. Why did Mr. L have to make him feel comfortable in his own skin again? Now that he was alone, he didn't regret crying himself back to sleep. Not one bit.

* * *

Mario and Luigi came across a Nimbi on a green pipe, wings hugging her chest. "Oh, hurry...Hasten to me, sweet prince!"

Mario smiled and waved. "Hello again!"

She opened her eyes and glared. "Foulness! An aging man of mustache grim returneth!"

"Hey! His mustache isn't that bad!" Luigi spoke up.

"Talk not to me as though we have met!" She snapped. "Speak now! What dost thou want of me?"

"We came here to find you," Mario said.

"Thou come hither to _find_ me? Pah! As if I would consort with a face so behaired! I await a handsome prince! Understand? PRINCES ONLY!" She paused, a smirk appearing on her face. "Oh, but hold a moment...Ha Ha! Does thou claim to be the prince for whom I pine?" She laughed. "Priceless! Yea, verily. Very well then, good prince. Let us confirm thy lineage. If thou art my prince, then surely thou knowest my name. Speak it to mine ears! If the name is true, then I shall admit thou art mine one and only."

Luigi paused. "Uh...Luvbi, right?"

"Ha HA! In thy face! My name is not Luv..." She trailed off. Luvbi gasped. "WHAT!? H-H-How has thou come by the knowledge of my name!?"

Luigi laughed. "Well! I guess I'm your prince now!"

She frowned. "Nay, nay! Such foulness! The very thought cannot be abided! I cannot date a man so old and unpleasant to the eye! I shall return to Mother!" She made a faux puking sound before flying away.

The brothers watched with amusement. "Hmm...So, that's Luvbi, huh?" Luigi asked.

"Apparently so," Mario replied. "Come on. We better get back to Jaydes."

Luigi's eyes widened. "You've met the Queen of the Underwhere!?" He grinned. "And here I thought this was all Toad mythology! Remember those plays the Greeks wrote? And Hades and Persephone?"

Mario grinned. "Yes, I remember. I think you were the only one who enjoyed reading the Odyssey in English. Wasn't Athena your favorite goddess?"

The man in green nodded. "Oh, yes! I remember reading stories about her! I think my favorite one was-"

"The one about Arachne. I know. Now, come on! We can't afford to waste any more time!"

Soon, they came across a purple river. Luigi felt a twinge of dread, but Mario smiled. "Look, Luigi!" He said, pointing to the river. "Isn't that like the river in the stories?" Before Luigi could answer, Mario turned to the tiny boatman in his orange cloak. "Let's ask that guy if he can get us a ride." Mario went and greeted the boatman.

"Thisss is the River Twygz...Its watersss are the tearsss of..." He paused, peering at Luigi. "Wait. Haven't I seen you before?" He asked, suddenly dropping his lisp.

Luigi shrugged. "I don't think so. I would've remembered."

"Huh. Weird." He shook his head. "Anyway...For four coins, I will furry you to the other ssside."

Mario paid for that short trip across the river. Soon, they came across Jaydes, the Queen of the Underwhere herself. Luvbi was at her side. "HA! At last thou appearest, foul, hairy creatures! Thou art no princes! Thou art LIARS! Thou approachest me at my mother's behest!"

Jaydes turned to her daughter. "Luvbi! Mind your manners! You know this all happened because you wandered off without permission! Now! Apologize to these nice men at once!"

Luvbi sighed and peered at the ground. "Umm...Yea." She went to them. "So, um, yea...I am sorry that thou art so hairy."

"Huh?" Mario muttered.

Turning to her, Jaydes went on. "Oh, Luvbi...You had us all so very worried." She looked back to the man in red. "Mario. Please accept this as a sign of my eternal thanks. Here." She handed him the next Pure Heart.

Luigi gasped. "The Pure Heart is fixed!"

"I have power over life and death, you see," Jaydes explained. "And I was able to use that power to restore this Pure Heart. I know not how you found it, but this Pure Heart shows that fate is on your side. Take good care of it."

Mario nodded. "Yeah, of course!"

"And by the way, it may please you to know that your game is not truly over. Somehow, you were sent to the Underwhere while still very much alive. My power can return you to your world if you wish...What would you like to do?"

Before he could answer, Luigi piped up. "Wait, Mario. What if Peach and Bowser are here?"

Mario thought for a moment. "If they are, they'll have to find their own way out. I know it sounds terrible, but the fate of the world depends on this!"

Luigi sighed. Although he wanted to see Peach and even Bowser again, he understood how important the situation was. "You're right."

Mario turned. "We want to go back."

"Then I shall return you," Jaydes answered. She gave a magical chant. While the words had little meaning, they seemed to carry more weight than life itself out of her mouth. Between flashes of light, Mario and Luigi rose into the air. Everything faded to white.

 _CRASH!_ Both brothers landed on the top floor of Flipside, rainbow doors a few feet away. Mario stood and offered Luigi a hand. "Here."

Luigi took it and stood. Looking around, he noticed the rainbow doors, but he couldn't miss the gigantic Void. Luigi gasped and pointed. "The Void! It's gotten so much bigger! H-How?"

Before Mario could answer, he heard a familiar voice. "Mario! You're alive!"

They turned to see Tippi leading Merlon to them. Merlon gasped. "M-M-MARIO!? But I saw Dimentio end your game! Then Tippi said you were here, so I thought I would come and take a look, but...Wow. You're truly alive."

Luigi grinned. "You know my bro always bounces back! Like me! I bounce too!"

"Um...And you are?" Tippi asked.

"We can introduce ourselves later! For now, let's head into my house," Merlon said. With that, everyone went to the second floor and met in Merlon's house. After Mario explained, Tippi pondered the situation and the lucky help he received. "So, that's how you did it then..."

Luigi waved. "So, hey! I'm Luigi! I'm my bro's bro! It's nice to meet you!"

Tippi paused, examining the man in green. "Haven't we met somewhere before?"

He stroked his chin. Now that he thought about it, this Pixl did seem familiar. "Oh, boy...Not that I remember, but..."

"Wait. Is it possible that you're our fourth hero?"

"Funny you should say that!" Merlon chimed in. "I just found this interesting bit in the Light Prognosticus. 'The seventh lost Pure Heart will draw together two men and when the light returns, its brilliance will show the way to the last hero.' Yes, as Tippi said, I think this fellow in green may be our final hero!"

Tippi turned. "Mario...I never stopped believing you would return. But Princess Peach and Bowser!"

Mario frowned. "I didn't have time to search for them down there...What do you think we should do?"

She thought for a moment. "How to proceed...Well, if you could come back, perhaps Peach and Bowser also can. But first, let's find a Heart Pillar where we can set this Pure Heart."

Mario nodded. "Right. Let's a-go."

As they stepped outside, Tippi gave a quick run-through of the layout of Flipside to Luigi. It got a bit confusing when they brought up the topic of Flopside, but Luigi was more of a hands-on learner anyway. Once he came out on the other side of the pipe Mario had someone build, his eyes lit up in understanding. "Oh! So, it's just like looking into a mirror! Mario, why did you have to give that confusing explanation?"

Finally, they made their way to the Heart Pillar. Luigi set the heart inside, feeling a new optimism as he saw the glowing heart put in its proper place. He wondered what new world he would get to see.

Tippi stared ahead, her mind on something else entirely. Luigi wondered if the sight lost its magic after awhile. "So, this is the seventh..." She mused. "Now there's just a single Pure Heart left to find. We have to act quickly! We have to stop that Blumiere!"

At the sound of that name, Luigi's eyes widened. Something inside of him traveled back in time. He had high hopes and a lot of despair all at once. He turned to face her. She didn't even seem to have an explanation for that name. "Hmm!? What did I just...Blumiere? Wait. Hold on. Who in the world is that? I...What am I saying?"

Not knowing what else to do, Luigi grinned softly. "Don't worry about it. I don't remember a lot before the Underwhere either! I'm sure it'll come to you."

"Oh, I know. I've tried to be optimistic about all this, but Blumiere! I can't help but think that's the name of someone..." She trailed off. Quietly, she added, "You're right. We better get going."

Mario suggested taking a shortcut by using their Warp Pipe. He explained to Luigi that this could take them back to Flipside from most locations. "I had a feeling it would be useful," He said. Luigi agreed. Although he enjoyed the feel of these identical towns, there wasn't much time to waste. They took the Warp Pipe back to where they started. Together, both men stepped through the mysterious purple door.

* * *

Needless to say, Luigi was somewhat disappointed when they appeared in the Underwhere yet again. Still, he assumed that this was where the Pure Heart must have wanted them to end up, so he didn't worry too much about it. When they met with Jaydes again, she seemed taken back, not only upon seeing them again, but hearing that they also wanted to find the Pure Heart hidden in that world. However, they struck a deal with her to escort her daughter Luvbi to the Overthere.

"Take her back? Why ever would you need us to do a thing like that?" Tippi asked.

"A monster was once held beneath here...But a recent earthquake freed it," Jaydes began. "Once it escaped its prison, it began to wander this realm freely. Of course, I could never send my daughter alone with such a savage beast on the loose. If you would take her back, I would gladly open the way to the Overthere for you. I will also alert Grambi that you are coming to ask him about the Pure Heart. What say you? This is a fair bargain."

Luigi's eyes widened. He felt himself start to shake. "A m-monster?"

"We'll take her," Mario said before Luigi could overreact.

"I thank you. With this monster about, my D-men and I are busy trying to contain the damage." With that, Jaydes created a tall purple door. "Just go through this door and keep heading upward to reach the Overthere. And make sure Luvbi arrives safely in the care of Grams...I mean, Grambi."

Luvbi giggled. "But avert thy eyes whilst we climb, lest thou succembeth to my cuteness!"

"Oh, please. They're not that superficial," Tippi muttered.

Luvbi frowned. "Oh, me. A sharpened tongue. Thou art jealous? Dost thou pine for yonder hairy twins? For whom dost thou pine the most? The red one? Or perhaps the green?"

"W-What? I..."

"Thy cheeks grows red and thy manner flustered," She continued flatly. "A crush, hot as a thousand suns, burns deep within thy heart. Yea, verily. Alas for me, methinks. Anyway, movest on!"

Needless to say, Mario and Luigi were able to find Bowser and Peach again. It turned out that Bowser was the beast hidden underground. After another fight, they convinced him to re-join their party. Peach, on the other hand, was asleep in the Overthere after eating a Golden Apple. They managed to wake her with the smelly, dry Black Apple, also known as the Taboo Fruit.

Since some Underwhere creatures destroyed the bridge to Grambi's castle, the heroes had to recover three colored orbs to restore it. With the help of Rebbi, Blubbi, and Yebbi, the holders of the orbs, they recovered the bridge. After Mario crossed the bridge, he heard a voice calling to him. "HOLD IT!"An Underwhere creature with raspberry skin approached him. "How'd you guys get in here!? I thought we destroyed the bridge!"

Luvbi flew in front of the group, scowling at the creature. "Shuttest thy trap, foul one! Speakest! Doth my father fare well? If thou hast hurt a whisker on his face, I shall END all that is you!"

The creature didn't seem to know how to respond. "Wh-Wh-Whaaaaaat!? You little brat!" He turned. "Hey! You guys! Fall in!" Just then, an army of Underwhere creatures marched and floated towards them. Their leader smirked. "So, ya wanna see how scary we can be, little girly!? Well, take a good look!"

"Oh, dear..." Tippi spoke up. "There seems to be a lot of them...I didn't know there were so many left..."

"CALM THY MIND!" A voice cried. Rebbi came up to them. "I shall handle them!"

"You..." Tippi whispered.

"At long last, my strength returned to me! And now, these fiends shall reap the grim harvest of my Nimbi fury!" Rebbi turned. "The hour is nigh, Nimbi brigade! Art thou ready!?"

"YEEEA!" With that, a chorus of Nimbis appeared at his side.

"Hast thou fear of these fiends from the Underwhere!?" Rebbi asked.

"NAY!" The Nimbis cried.

"Ooh, all tough 'cause you got an army, huh? Let's see how ya do against MINE! YER GOIN' DOWN!" With that, the Underwhere leader went to his army.

"THOU ART TOAST!" Rebbi taunted. Joining his army, he added, "And now, Nimbi brigade, ahem...CHARGE!"

"NO MERCY!" The Underwhere army cried. With that, the two forces clashed, leading to a chaotic mess of creatures and noise.

Bowser lead the way, using Carrie to go even faster. "Come on, you three! Quick!" He said, gesturing with his arm. Mario, Luigi, and Peach followed suit. Bowser scorched any enemies in their way as they ran into the castle.

* * *

"Oh no!" Luvbi gasped. She went to Grambi, who was panting. "Father! Father! Art thou alright?" The heroes appeared at her side.

Grambi took a deep breath, worry in his eyes. "Luvbi...Thou should not...have come. Flee...from here..."

"A touching scene for sure..." A deep, chilling voice whispered. The heroes looked ahead to see an ice monster staring at them with amusement.

"Lemme guess. You're the big, bad boss of all those Underwhere hoodlums, right?" Bowser asked.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, I assure you. My name is Bonechill. I am something of an evil celebrity in certain circles in the Underwhere."

Luvbi frowned. "That may be, but my father shall never give you the Pure Heart! So givest up!"

Bonechill laughed. "Oh, you dear, ignorant child," He slithered. "You really don't know a thing, do you? How charming!"

She furrowed her brows. "What dost thou mean?"

"I speak of the Pure Heart and I speak of you, Luvbi. IT IS YOU!"

The others' eyes widened. They turned to Luvbi. She was just as shocked as the rest of them. "What...Sayest thou?"

"The Pure Heart was hidden ingenuously to keep it away from evil sorts like me. Grambi changed the Pure Heart into a Nimbi that he called his own daughter!" He finished with another cold laugh.

Luvbi stared at the floor, losing her certain tone. "Ha ha...That is just silly...My mother and father..."

"Oh, priceless! You really think Grambi pays an ounce of attention to you out of _love_?"

"N-No...That's...Thou liest! Father! Sayest something!" She turned to Grambi and floated by his side.

"L-Luvbi...Ugh..." He muttered.

Bonechill laughed. "The old fool can weigh the sins of others, but not his own!"

"It cannot be..." She whispered.

"Luvbi...We can talk later!" Tippi interrupted. "Right now, just take Grambi to safety..." The Nimbi hesitated. "QUICKLY!"

She nodded. "O-Okay..." She grabbed Grambi's wing and lead him outside.

"Many thanks for delivering the Pure Heart!" Bonechill sneered. "Once I deal with you, none can stop me. I shall be invincible! Please, as your game ends, remember it is an honor to have it ended by talons!" Bonechill blew ice in their direction.

Luigi bounced forward. "Lemme at this guy! I can handle him!"

The others looked among each other before nodding and stepping back. "Good luck, Luigi," Peach murmured.

"A green worm for the appetizer? How adorable!" Bonechill muttered, taking another icy breath. Luigi looked up as icicles lined the ceiling. He grinned and pointed. "You! Hand pixel! Come with me!"

"With pleasure, erm...New hero!" Thoreau said, appearing by his side. Luigi started out by trying to throw his ice right back at him.

Bonechill sneered as he missed a couple times. "Is that really the best you can do, worm?"

Frowning, Luigi used his super jump and sprung upward. He made sure to dodge the ice the best he could, although he did get frozen once. Breaking out of the ice, he leaped forward and repeated his attacks until Bonechill lost his deep blue scales, leaving him transparent and naked.

Bonechill gave one last weak roar. "How...Impossible...How could you puny worms...destroy a master of the cold dark?" He let out one last roar before falling to pieces.

Grambi came back into the room with Lubvi not long after. "Thou has done a fine job...Thou hast save our realm..."

Luvbi turned to him. "Father...The words of that thing...Were lies, yea? Thou and Mother art my parents?"

"Well...Luvbi..."

"LUVBI!" A familiar voice cried. Just then, Jaydes burst into the room.

"Mother!" Luvbi said, taken back.

"I had not received word of your safe arrival, so I came looking...Are you well?"

Luvbi frowned. "Speakest to me now, Mother. Father and thee...Art thou verily my parents?"

Jaydes' eyes widened. "Wait a minute. Why do you...WHAT!?"

"Prithee, Mother. Speakest the truth to me."

The queen turned away. "Luvbi...You...You are not really our child."

Luvbi's eyes widened. "So...It is...true..."

Jaydes turned back to face her. "The Pure Heart was always in danger of falling into the hands of evil, darling. So Grams and I decided to transform it into a shape no one would suspect."

The false Nimbi stared at the floor. "And that was...Me?" She froze, eyes growing wide. "WAAH?" For a split second, a white Pure Heart was in Luvbi's place before it disappeared.

Jaydes gasped. "What...Was that?"

"The Pure Heart doth struggle against the Luvbi identity..." Grambi spoke up. "It seeketh its true form. It doth sense someone nearby worthy of possessing it. It must be these fair folk..."

"So, uh..." Luvbi chuckled, glancing at Luigi. "Thou sayest I am meant to be with him? He verily is...My prince?" The girl frowned. "This doth STINK! He is completely wrong for me!"

Luigi glanced down at the floor. _Something about this seems familiar. Like...I've been through all of this before...Only a bit different._

"I speak seriously to you. This hath no humor to it!" She continued. Pouting, Luvbi added, "Fine! I shall return to my Pure Heart form and I shall go with Mario and his friends!"

"Thou art certain?" The king asked. "If thou turnest back into the Pure Heart, the Nimbi known as Luvbi...Will cease to exist."

Luigi gasped, feeling a certain twinge of fear. He knew this was the only way to save the world, but maybe it was for a completely different reason. "Luvbi...They're right! Maybe you should think about this."

Luvbi jerked to Luigi. "Nay, perhaps I already have!" She muttered, "I remember being the Pure Heart now, in truth. And the world would end if I did not do it, is this not so? So I should just..." She paused. "Wait. Why do I explain myself to thee? Thou art not my real father, so QUIET!"

Grambi gasped. "W-What?"

The Nimbi turned back to face him. "To think of all the times thou has scolded me! Thou didst KNOW I was not long for this world! Why didst thou not let me have fun!? Nay! Instead, I suffered an angry fake father and a nagging fake mother! I had no life! How dost thou plan to make it up to me!?"

"Luvbi!" Jaydes cried.

"Sayest thou what thou wilt to me, but talketh not to thy mother that way!" Grambi added. "Perhaps thy sass shall end when thou changeth forms! What dost thou wait for!?"

"Oh, give me a break! I must do it whether thou wish or not! It shall be a RELIEF!"

"Thou art an ungrateful brat! Dost thou not recall when I lingered by thy ill bedside?"

"I scoff at thy lingering! Why dost thou not giveth me back the present I bought with my saved allowance!?"

Luigi looked back and forth as they argued, confused on what to say or do. Grambi scoffed. "What madness doth spew from thy lips!? Who GAVETH thee that allowance!? And thou didst lie to get the money, too! Thou didst pretend to buy schoolbooks!"

Luvbi gasped, pain in her eyes. "How dost thou DARE lecture on lying! And why dost thou think I lied!? I thought that Mother and thee...I thought...Thou wouldst be happy..." Grambi didn't say anything. She went on. "The pair of thee...Thou art not my real parents...I..." Tearing up, she added, "I _hate_ thee..."

Mario gasped. He said softly, "Luvbi..."

"That is enough, Luvbi," Jaydes said. The girl stared past her. "It is true that we created you as a means of protecting the Pure Heart...But Grams and I came to love you as a true daughter. We wanted to be with you for all time, to protect you. You became a part of us. Perhaps we were wrong to create you...And if we only caused pain, we apologize."

Luvbi smiled sadly. "Oh, Mother...Thou needest not apologize! My dear Mother...Thank thee." The Pure Heart appeared once more before Luvbi took its place. "The Pure Heart doth wish to assume its original form."

"Luvbi..." Grambi whispered.

She turned to Mario and the rest of the group. With a bright smile, she said, "Tippi...Takest good care of the real me! And...Savest the world, yea? Such is my final wish, so if thou dost not do it, thou art most unkind!"

"I understand," Tippi replied.

Luvbi looked back at her parents one last time. "Father...Mother...Fare thee well."

"Luvbi..." Grambi whispered, tears in his eyes.

"Oh, my darling..." Jaydes added.

"I am sorry for lying earlier...Because in truth...I love thee both!" With that, Luvbi fought with the Pure Heart one last time before the piece of the Purity Heart took her place forever.

Holding back from sobbing, Jaydes whispered, "Luvbi..."

Grambi wiped his tears. "Now, ye prophesied ones...Destined heroes...Takest our dear daughter. Takest the Pure Heart."

Luigi grinned. "Okay, Grambi!"

"And swearest this to me...Thou must prevail! Let no one else in the universe feel this sadness!"

Luigi's eyes widened as a faraway memory returned to him.

 _He followed her back to his room. She turned to him and noticed his tears. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"_

 _He wiped them. "N-No. Honestly, I'm not sure why I'm crying. Everything feels so...Bittersweet. That's the best word to describe it, I guess."_

 _"Well, if anything's wrong, come to me. Okay?"_

 _The man in green nodded. "Okay. Thank you, sorrella..."_

 _Her eyes widened._ _He taught her the meaning of the word some time ago._ _She was quiet for a moment. Then she shook her head and took his hand, leading him back to his room. He followed in a daze._

The man in green was silent for a moment. Before Mario or the others could say anything, his smile returned. "Okie-dokie!"

"Very well. Then I am satisfied. Now, Luvbi, thou most go."

"Oh, Grams..." Jaydes said pitifully.

Luigi took the former Nimbi and held it close, a bittersweet wave crashing on top of him. He may not have known her well, but anyone could tell how much Luvbi meant to the king and queen of the afterlife.

"Heroes..." Grambi whispered, not even bothering to hide his tears. "My daughter wanted thee to save all worlds. 'Twas her final wish."

That was Grambi's last words as they arrived back to Flipside. While the others seemed intent on finding the Heart Pillar, Luigi stayed behind. "How strange..."

Mario looked to his brother. "Hmm? What is it, Luigi?"

Luigi turned to Mario in tears, wearing a solemn smile. "We don't have a sister."

"Luigi...What are you talking about?"

The man in green wiped his tears. Why was he thinking of that now? Who even was that girl? No. This was not the time to ask those questions. He had to press onward for Mario's protection. "I'm fine. Let's go. The world isn't gonna save itself, you know?" Mario nodded, opting not to ask any questions for once. With that, they caught up with the others to place the Pure Heart in its proper pillar.

* * *

 _Fun fact: Diana sounds something like Connie from Steven Universe._

 _Headcanon: Luigi actually liked Greek mythology and English. He was also fairly decent at Math._

 _I decided to call Blumiere's kind shadowmen because they don't seem to have a canon species. I also included even more NK vibes in the Tribe of Darkness! Only the wealthy can pick what they study. The woman in Dimentio's dream (before Diana) was inspired by Ri Sol Ju, the wife of Kim Jong Un. She was said to study Music before marrying the Supreme Leader, some Western media even claiming that she was a former North Korean pop idol, though I don't think this is too likely. She also has a soft speaking voice. _

_I'm also working on a second animatic, this one showing more promise than the one before it. So, um...Maybe check that out? It's on Youtube? Please and thank you? :D_

 _EDIT: My Youtube is just colorful-and-free._

 _-Colorful and Free_


	17. Remember

_"Are you sure about this?" She whispered._

 _Blumiere glanced at her. "Yes. I must claim my birthright, as outlined in the Dark Prognosticus. Now, Nastasia...Leave me for a moment. Please."_

 _Nastasia nodded and left. He turned back to his surroundings._ _He was on a hill overlooking his village. He tried not to pay any mind to the nearby tree, where he had often met with her. His dearest Timpani._

 _With the help of Nastasia, a bat that he freed, he had searched and searched for her, but she was nowhere to be found. Of course. Why wouldn't Father destroy a human without a second thought? Blumiere held the Dark Prognosticus tighter, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders._

 _"Brother?"_ _Blumiere turned. His younger brother, Eric, stood before him. The second oldest, he was the most intelligent of them all. He also knew Blumiere the best. Eric adjusted his glasses, dark hair blowing with the wind._ _"What are you doing out here? Father would kill you if he found out that you sneaked out again."_

 _Blumiere turned his brother, taking his hand. "Eric. Find Ben and Mother. Take them and leave. To the nearest dimension, if possible." He purposely left his father out of the equation. This was all about taking everything from him, just as he had done to Blumiere._

 _Eric blinked. "What? What are you talking about?"_

 _"We don't have a whole lot of time. Do you wish to end up like Rosette?"_

 _The shadowman cringed. They didn't speak of their younger sister often. Sickness had taken her years ago, yet everyone still loved her. Plus, anyone could see she was their father's favorite. The beatings had gotten worse after that. "Why do you need to bring her up?"_

 _He stared past his brother. "I had a vision the night before. Something tells me the Angel of Darkness is coming sooner than we previously thought."_

* * *

"Um...Count? Are you okay?"

Count Bleck glanced at his right hand woman. Nastasia had a worried look on her face.

He frowned. "Count Bleck is fine, Nastasia. He was just deep in thought is all..." Count Bleck had to stop thinking of the past. Usually, he had done a decent job at keeping his mind preoccupied, but that Pixl had a way of taking him back in time. Back to the last evening he had his real family.

That night, he stared at his home one last time before sneaking back in with Nastasia and summoning the Void. However, unlike the Voids in other dimensions and even this one, it barely gave the Nightshade family time to acknowledge what was happening. Mother and Father. Eric. Benjamin. His fellow tribesmen. They were all gone. Just like Timpani...

He held his scepter tighter. Count Bleck was about to let Nastasia run this meeting again when the others came in. He quickly straightened up. Dimentio mentioned he had something to say. He wondered what it could be.

"Thank you for coming, everyone. Now, as you know, we don't have a lot of time until the Void takes this world," Count Bleck began.

"Well, whaddya yeh say we do, Count?" O'Chunks asked.

"Yeah! In fact, how are we gonna make it out of all this to build the New World anyway? Everywhere we go is just gonna fall apart!" Mimi added.

"Those are excellent points. However, worry not! Count Bleck has the answers! He believes we should..." He trailed off. Count Bleck intended to die there with them as a complete unit. Dare he say it, even a family. He looked to Nastasia for help, but she looked back at him with worry and fear. Did he ever explain this to her?

Count Bleck turned to Dimentio. "On second thought! Count Bleck just remembered Dimentio had something to say. The floor is yours."

Dimentio chuckled. "Well, maybe we should put those escape plans on hold. You see, I had a vision the night before. I suspect the heroes are on their way."

The shadowman stared. He glanced at the others. Nastasia's eyes widened. O'Chunks' jaw dropped. Mimi glared and clenched her fists. He looked back to the jester. "Oh, Dimentio. Please don't joke like that. You startled everyone. Including Count Bleck!"

The magician grinned. "Oh, Count. For once, I'm not joking."

His eyes widened. He was serious!? "WHAT!?" Count Bleck paused. "...Spat Count Bleck in utter disbelief. Surely this news cannot be true! The heroes still live!?"

Dimentio laughed. "Ah ha ha. Oh, I'm afraid so, my count. In fact, they will be here before long!~"

"Whuh!? Izzat true, then!?" O'Chunks cried. "What're we doin' twiddlin' our biscuits 'ere!? Count Bleck! Lemme go throw 'em a nice welcome party...I'll bring the punch!"

"Ooh, I wanna party with those party poopers too!" Mimi replied. "Wait up, O'Chunks! Mimimimimimi!" With that, she and O'Chunks left the room.

"Well, I'm not one to miss a party..." Dimentio whispered. He smiled and snapped his fingers. "Oh, but wait a moment. Dear Count...Does the name Blumiere ring a bell?"

Count Bleck froze. "Where did you hear that name, Dimentio?" He asked calmly. He kept himself together, but he was one snarky remark from an explosion. He was under enough stress as it was.

"Oh, the mustache man's Pixl went on and on...She said, 'I must stop Blumiere,'" Dimentio replied. Count Bleck tipped his hat, shielding part of his face. "But I suppose there's no reason to pay any mind to the ramblings of a Pixl...Ciao for now, my Count!" With that, he vanished.

Nastasia spoke up. "Count Bleck! If, Um...If that Pixl is who you think it is...There's still time! You can still stop the prophecy from destroying everything! Yeah, because, if that's really her...If she's alive, you have to stop all this!"

"You know not what you are saying, Nastasia," Count Bleck said in a low voice. "The prophecy can no longer be stopped by Count Bleck. _No one_ can stop it."

"Yeah, I'm on board with what you're saying...But there must be a way. There must..." Nastasia huffed. "Lord Blumiere!"

Count Bleck paused. The name was like a slap in the face was from her, but he pretended it didn't hurt. He straightened up and laughed. "Bleh heh heh...The man known as Blumiere died long ago. Now there is only Bleck! The Dark Prognosticus' choice to fulfill the prophecy! Nothing more!"

The girl frowned. She had always thought this was just about Timpani and nothing else. However, now she wondered if his upbringing had anything to do with it. If there was anything the Tribe of Darkness had clung to besides demonizing and mocking humans, it was idolizing whatever the dark book said. Nastasia knew she could never undo that type of brainwashing, no matter what power she had. She stared at the top of her platform. "But..."

"Come to Count Bleck, heroes...If you hope to save these worlds, then come..." Once more, he choked out that harsh laughter. "BLEH HEH HEH! BLECK!"

* * *

"No! Blumiere, you mustn't!"

Somehow, Tippi saw it all. Her dear love...Count Bleck. His real name was Blumiere. She knew that now.

He held the Dark Prognosticus close. Despite his father trying to make him see reason, he ignored it. _"A world without her is empty! A LIFE without her is empty!"_ He turned away from him. _"Speak, Dark Prognosticus! Teach your dark history! I await your command! BLEH HEH HEH! BLECK!"_

 _"Blumiere...What have you done?"_ His father whispered. _SMASH!_ The windows shattered. His father reacted to the harsh wind, but Blumiere himself acted as if everything was calm. The sky was a chaotic blend of blue, purple, and black.

Blumiere spoke to the dark book until two men came. Were they his brothers? What were their names again? Eric and...Benjamin? _"Blu-Blumiere! Don't do this! Blumiere!"_ The one with the glasses cried, tears in his eyes.

Blumiere turned his back to them, tears streaming down his face. _"Blumiere is no more! I am Count Bleck! And no one shall stand in my way! BLEH HEH HEH! BLECK!"_

Just then, Tippi noticed a girl. She had blue skin and she wore her purple hair in a long braid. She must have been Blumiere's friend; the men barely acknowledged her. She was shaking as she looked at the sky.

After some more laughter, Blumiere shot dark magic into the sky with his scepter. The girl held onto him and he wrapped his wing around her, leaving everything around them in white oblivion. The screams died out into deafening silence.

It was because of her, wasn't it? She was the one he was talking about before. Timpani. No. This was the worst way she could remember herself! Her Blumiere... "Darling...How could you..." She cried, chocked up. "Oh...Darling...You...Why!?"

"Hey, Tippi!" A brash voice interrupted. "Snap out of it, will ya?"

Suddenly, everything returned to focus. Tippi looked around. Everything was back to normal. She was on the top floor of Flipside, the four heroes standing around her. The Pixl was at a loss for words. "...What?"

"I thought you'd just gone back to town, but then I saw you lying there, not moving," Peach explained. "And then...You started shouting loudly. I have to say, it kind of startled me."

"Yeah. Tippi, are you okay?" Mario chimed in.

"Um..." Tippi wondered whether or not she should tell them what she saw. She decided against it. They already had a lot on their minds. "I'm alright. I'm sorry for startling you."

"Blumiere...Is that a person's name you were saying?" Peach asked. "Were you remembering something from your past, perhaps?"

Tippi stared at the floor. "...No. It's nothing. Nothing at all." There was a moment of silence. Tippi hoped no one would press her.

Luckily, no one did. "So, should we go to Merlon's?" Luigi asked. "We ought to tell him that we found the last Pure Heart!"

At Merlon's house, the elderly wizard discussed the situation. "So...We have gathered all the Pure Hearts and all four of the heroes, it seems..."

Bowser laughed. "Now we just stomp this Count Bleck guy and call it a day!"

"I fear for the poor people of this world who must continue to look at the sky and worry," Peach said. "We must act quickly and ease their hearts and minds!"

"They're right. Let's do this!" Mario added.

Luigi had nothing to add. He shifted uncomfortably, staring at his shoes. Perhaps he was nervous. Tippi couldn't blame him.

"What troubles you, Tippi?" Merlon asked.

She looked to him. "The prophecy...Do we really have to destroy Count Bleck to stop it from happening?" The Pixl heard someone gasp behind her, but she couldn't care less.

"Much of the dark prophecy has already come to pass...But stop it we must," Merlon replied. "It was by Count Bleck's hand that the Chaos Heart was summoned, bringing this peril. Without him, the prophecy's power will wither, and all worlds can avoid their ends."

Tippi sighed. "Yes. I suppose you're right. I guess we always knew that, didn't we?"

Luigi blinked. "Tippi? What's the matter, huh?"

"My dear...Was there something between you and this Count Bleck?" Merlon asked.

"Um...No, nothing. It was nothing..." Tippi flapped her wings a little harder. She was never the best liar. "I'm fine! Let's go!"

Merlon sighed, dropping the issue. "Very well, then. Once again, your first task is to set this Pure Heart in a Heart Pillar. Once you've done that, you must head back to the black door in Flopside."

Tippi lead Mario lead the way. Right as she was getting ready to catch up, she heard his voice. "Tippi."

She turned back to face him. "Nothing!"

Luigi blinked. "Um...If you feel unusual about Count Bleck, it's okay! I, um...I do too."

"What do you mean by that?"

The man in green shifted again, staring at the ground. "I guess it's hero's guilt. Though I can't help but feel like I've met him somewhere before. I feel like...Like I know him in a way that Mario doesn't."

"That may be true..." Tippi said. "Either way, something must be done about this. It doesn't matter what we may remember."

"Oh. Right!" Luigi said with a smile. At least he could be optimistic.

Tippi whispered, "Thank you for letting me know, Luigi. Are you sure we haven't met before?"

Luigi grinned. "Maybe we have in a previous lifetime! Mario doesn't believe in past lives, but I do!"

"Maybe. Come on. We need to catch up with the others."

After placing Luvbi in her resting place, the others saw Norlem approaching them. "So...The time has come." Mario walked up to him. "Heroes...The last door is at the top of Flopside Tower in the center of town! I'll go ahead and wait for you. Once you've prepared for the battle that waits beyond that door, come find me."

The heroes prepared as well as they could, with delicacies from both Saffron and Dyllis, her Flopside counterpart. Though some were duds, they were able to make a few improved meals. They also bought a few items for good measure, mainly Ultra Shrooms. ("We don't have to share, right?" Bowser asked at one point. The others shrugged and the Koopa King decided he would be willing to give things up for the team.)

When they reached the Flopside tower, they found both Merlon and Norlem waiting for them. "This is the final door..." Norlem said. "Eight Pure Hearts versus the Dark Prognosticus. Castle Bleck awaits."

"There was something on the last page of the Light Prognosticus. 'Only those who have not abandoned hope can turn back the prophecy of doom. They walk forward into the future, no matter how dark and uncertain it may be,'" Merlon added.

"You have fought all this way because you believe the future can be bright," Norlem went on. "I can't go through this door with you, but I send you with all the hope in my heart."

"I know that you can do it. I, too, believe it in my heart."

Mario nodded. Peach grinned. "Thank you, both of you."

For a split second, Luigi thought of people he sworn he had never seen before. He even saw the Count among them, though it wasn't like when they first met in Bowser's castle. He gave off a warm, even fatherly vibe. Luigi dismissed that thought and smiled. "Leave it to us!"

"Are we gonna group-hug?" Bowser spoke up. "Enough pep talks, gramps! I'm doing this for ME!"

Merlon glanced at his Pixl. "Tippi...I don't know what is on your mind, but...If this is too hard for you, please feel free to stay behind."

"No..." She said. "I'm going. I've decided; I must do this!"

The old man hesitated. "Tippi...If your memory...Returns..." He sighed. "Tippi, you've changed much. You've grown so strong." Taking on a more cheerful demeanor, he added, "So! Be sure to return safely to me!"

Tippi laughed. "I will, Merlon!" She turned to the others. "Let's go! Let's defeat Count Bleck! Let's save all these worlds from destruction!"

Everyone nodded. Just then, the ground shook and the Void grew even larger. "And hurry, for the worlds may not have much time!" Norlem said.

"In that black span of nothing, you will find Castle Bleck," Merlon began. "You may face battles harder than any you have endured thus far. If you feel ready to face this challenge, then please go forward." With his blessing, the four heroes entered the final door. As they left, Merlon whispered, "Mario, Princess Peach, Bowser, Luigi. Be strong...And you too, Tippi."

Meanwhile, the others arrived at their final destination. As the black door disappeared behind them, Tippi said, "So, here we are at last...Count Bleck's castle."

Luigi bit his lip. This was supposed to be the part of the journey where he was the most afraid, but he felt the complete opposite here. He wanted to march inside right now and demand to speak with Count Bleck. What would he say? _Why are you doing this? Are you really going to let us die? I thought you cared about us! Cared about me! You said I was your man in green! That I was irreplaceable-_

Tippi muttered something, but Luigi was too lost in his own thoughts to hear. He turned to her. "What was that?"

"Er...Never mind. We'd better get going."

Luigi nodded. "Okay." With that, he walked past the others.

Mario furrowed his brows. "Huh? Luigi?"

"Hey! Why are you so eager all of a sudden?" Bowser added.

"Just follow me," Luigi muttered.

The others looked among themselves. "We better do what he says," Peach said. Bowser muttered in agreement and the two followed. Tippi joined Luigi's side.

Mario, on the other hand, watched his brother with a confused expression. He knew Luigi better than anyone. As far as he knew, he was the only one who hadn't seen Count Bleck after that surprising encounter at Bowser's castle. Why did he walk with determination in his eyes? Confidence in his step? Again, that one possiblity occurred to Mario. Again, he pushed it aside and followed his brother inside the castle.

* * *

 _Why do I feel as though I've been here before?_ That thought played like a broken record as Luigi lead the way. He knew every hall, every room, every nook and cranky as though it was his own house. He felt like he had walked along its halls, spoken with its residents, and had his meals here many times. This feeling grew even stronger when Luigi met a couple of the Count's servants, O'Chunks and Mimi.

Speaking in a Scottish accent and losing to Bowser in a one-on-one battle, O'Chunks ignored Luigi and seemed to think nothing of him. (Unfortunately, that was when the heroes lost Bowser, but they had no choice but to continue.) Mimi was different. Luigi had to admit that he fell for her Merlon impersonation. However, when the fortune teller Merlee suddenly appeared, everyone in the group was suspicious. When she asked about their greatest fears, it was Luigi's idea to say the least threatening things possible.

As soon as they found her, Mimi accused them of lying. Peach scolded her. "How dare you lecture us! You were just pretending to be Merlon and Merlee! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Mimi smiled. "Ashamed...Of myself? I like getting what I want, so I do whatever I need to do to get it." She glanced behind Peach. Her eyes skimmed over Mario, but when her brown eyes met Luigi's blue orbs, she gasped. Mimi grew tense and quiet for a moment. Then, she giggled. " _You're_ the one that's always getting rescued by boys! THAT's embarrassing!"

 _Says the one who's pining for a 40 something year old man._ As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Luigi bit his tongue to keep his mouth shut. Still, as the conversation went on, Peach grew more and more offended. Next, the princess insisted on facing Mimi alone. As a result, Peach succumbed to the same fate as Bowser, so the brothers had to continue without her as well.

With Tippi at their side, Luigi felt a little better in knowing he wasn't the only one who had strange thoughts. He even tried asking her about the castle. "Tippi, do you feel as though you've been here before?"

"No, I don't," She answered honestly. "This place feels so sad and lonely. I don't think I could stand it if the fate of the world didn't rely on this. Why?"

Luigi sighed, trying to mask his disappointment. "Nothing."

Though Mario flashed him an odd look, they continued through the castle. However, Luigi couldn't shake the feeling they were being watched.

* * *

Dimentio had many eyes in the castle. The catch? Most of them were in one room. His magic could only go so far with possessing others and bending their will. However, the mirror room was an experiment of his and one of his favorite places in the castle. Sometimes, when he needed to vent, he would go there and his clones would greet him.

 _"I feel so dirty being nice to the Count! That's bad enough, but now I have to deal with his boring secretary, an idiot, and a materialistic brat! Any longer and I think I'll go insane!"_ He said one day, shortly before Mr. L had arrived.

 _"Oh, Dimentio! Have you forgotten? We're already insane!"_ One clone said.

 _"Well put, Dimentio!"_ Another agreed. _"Put up with them a little longer and then we'll have everything we could ever want!"_

The original magician smiled. _"You're so right. I forgot how smart you are, Dimentio! And how dashingly handsome as well!"_

They all shared a good laugh. He wished he could show Mr. L that room before disposing of him. He could only imagine his reaction.

Of course, Mr. L wasn't gone. Not really. He lead his brother and Pixl along, eyes as focused as when he worked on his machine. He walked confidently with not a trace of fear on his face. His only flaw were those eyes of his, for Luigi was in control once more.

Then again, maybe his counterpart was more active than Dimentio initially thought. The man in green shivered after retrieving a key from the aforementioned room. "Man, that room always gave me the creeps. Mimi showed it to me once and-"

Mario groaned. "Luigi, what are you keeping from me!? What'd you see before I met you in the Underwhere?"

Luigi frowned. "I already told you! I don't remember!"

"Oh yeah? Where did that story you were telling just now come from!?" Luigi opened his mouth to answer, then shut it after a few seconds. He turned away and kept walking. Mario followed, not willing to let the issue go. "And how come you knew that the Pure Heart was broken in the Underwhere without me saying anything!? Same with the Void! Huh? What do you have to say to that!?"

The man in green rolled his eyes. Dimentio thought he saw traces of silver returning. "Listen, sir Jumps-a-lot, as much as I would love to argue with you, we have more pressing matters at hand! Don't you think?"

"But how long were you here? Peach was here before and she didn't know her way around like this was her home!"

"Maybe I lived here and maybe I didn't! All I know that is that if you listened half as much as you stuffed your face-"

Mario glared, face turning pink. " _Excuse_ me!?"

Dimentio smirked, sensing insecurity on the topic of the red man's weight.

"Stop it! Both of you! We have a world to save, remember!?" Tippi intervened.

The man in red sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry, Luigi."

Luigi's eyes returned to blue. He rubbed his head. "Huh? What?" He looked to Mario and smiled. "I mean, um...I'm sorry too, bro."

"Lead the way, Luigi," Tippi said. The man in green did just that and the others followed in silence.

The magician smiled. _Maybe L is in there after all. And if he is...Who's to say I can't bring him back?_

* * *

 _DUN DUN DUN! If you played the games, you already know where this is going. If not...I spoiled a couple major plot twists for you. I would apologize, but I don't feel like I'm to blame. Anyway, that was this chapter. Though a lot of this was also taken from the games, I tried to add my own spin where I could. I don't know. I mostly missed getting emails about new reviews. (_ _Also, my version of Blumiere's father is named Damien Nightshade just in case you were curious. )_

 _I also have new story ideas popping in my head all the time. For example, I have an idea for a short sequel to SBG. Oh, and another story idea where Bowser forces Mr. L to return so he could fight on his side, but instead he acts like an apathetic brat ("I don't really feeeeel like it.") and befriends Junior. (Fun fact: Junior was going to be in this story as a brainwashed minion, but I felt that having L realize that he was Bowser's son would take away from his moment of realizing he's Luigi.) Those are a couple ideas of mine._

 _I'm also watching Higuarashi, an anime that has a scene where a character gets their nails ripped off somewhere down the line. Wish me luck._ _Until next time, ladies, gentlemen, and others...Stay frosty. (Wait, what?)_

 _-Colorful and Free_


	18. Bursts of Flame

_Thanks for waiting for this one. Fight scenes are some of the hardest ones to write for me. I didn't want it to be ripped from the game, so I put my own spin on this one. Enjoy!_

* * *

Soon, Mario arrived with Luigi and Tippi at his side. Dimentio laughed when they entered the room. "So...You've made it this far at last! Oh, but what's this? You seem to be missing the ravishing princess and the aim flailer."

"Dimentio...We don't have time to trade barbs with you!" Tippi said. "Move out of the way!"

"Ah, I see. You're in a hurry. Allow me to get out of your way, then." Just then, Dimentio turned invisible. He continued as the others looked around for him. "Just as soon as you defeat me!" He laughed and added, "You've proven to be worthy foes in the past, so I'm not going to make it easy. You'll have to come get me first! It'll be like a game of tag...With magic!"

As he left, Dimentio created a small rift in the room so they could enter Dimension D. They figured it out soon enough, as they followed him into what they thought was another world. "Where are we?" Tippi muttered.

"It's the first world we were at," Mario replied, looking around with a confused look on his face.

"Look! There!" Tippi said as Dimentio floated away. The heroes followed him with Luigi looking at the sky with worry. The Void was huge now and he knew the end of this world wasn't too far ahead. When they found another apparent tear in the dimension, they used Fleep to flip it. This always left a blue box, which they punched to lead them into the next familiar world. Though Luigi hadn't been to any of these places, he noticed they shared a similar aura. He felt like he had been there before.

At the end of it all, they were right back to where they started with Dimentio waiting for them. "Enjoying my game of tag?"

Luigi stepped forward. "Hey! Stop messing around and fight us for real!"

"Messing around? Oh, no. Magic is no laughing matter. I am always deadly serious. I have been watching you. You are the only ones who can stand up to Count Bleck. So...I have a favor to ask. Will you help me..." He glanced at Luigi, who was listening with curiosity. It reminded Dimentio of the version of him that he had fallen in love with. Pretending to ignore him, he finished, "...Destroy the Count?"

Luigi's eyes widened. "What are you talking about!? You want to betray him?"

Dimentio cringed. Mr. L had that same reaction. However, he forced a smile back on his face. "Betray him?" He laughed. "Oh no. It is him who has betrayed _me!_ He said he would destroy all worlds and create a new, perfect world in their place. But he was _lying._ He plans to obliterate every world, and leave them in ruin!"

Tippi gasped, but resisted the urge to speak. He continued, "I have always known about his nefarious goal. But I could never hope to stop him on my own. I feigned loyalty to him as I searched for someone who could defeat him with me!" He turned away. "Well...You see...That is why...I rescued the princess from certain brainwashing. It's also why I sent you to the Underwhere to fix the broken Pure Heart. And why I freed a man to be reunited with his brother...Now do you see?"

"You've...Been helping us all this time!?" Tippi asked.

He turned back to them. "Ahh, you've got me pegged! Now, how about you return the favor? I'll give you the power you need to fight Count Bleck...Just fight by my side!"

Luigi stepped forward. "No! You're crazy if you think we'll help you!"

Dimentio frowned. "You refuse? But this offer, it drips with generosity! With the Chaos Heart in our hands, we can rule every world! Still you refuse?"

"Forget it!" Luigi said.

"So you spit upon my offer? You have wasted my time. For that your game ends." He looked to Luigi. _What will set him off? Insulting his metal brother won't have any weight to it now and it may not be enough to insult Mario._ Searching the back of his memory, Dimentio remembered a time where Mimi walked in on Mr. L brushing his mustache. Apparently, he had trouble growing body hair anywhere else, so he cherished it. _I have just the thing._

"I think I'll start with the green one. The shag upon his lip will make a fine trophy," Dimentio remarked.

Luigi gasped. "SHAG!? This mustache is all LUIGI!"

Dimentio smirked. _Check and mate._

The man in green clenched his fists and grew more tense. "Leave this one to me, bro! You run ahead! You've got worlds to save! You don't have time to fight this baddie! Don't let Bowser and Peach's sacrifices be for nothing!" He hesitated before adding, "Or...Mine, either. Besides, he made fun of my 'stache, bro! You know I'm sensitive about that! Lemme at him!"

Mario turned. "But...Luigi..."

"Run for it, bro!"

He hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yeah...Okay..."

Luigi smiled. "Thanks, bro!"

Mario started heading out with Tippi. He looked back at Luigi one last time before leaving the room. Dimentio grinned. "How tender. I just squeezed out a tear. Yes...Mario can run along. And if he somehow manages to defeat Count Bleck all on his own...All the better! And so I strike, like an unseen dodge ball in an echoing gymnasium!"

Luigi clenched his fists. He knew he had seen Dimentio before this, but he perished the thought. He had to focus.

Dimentio threw magic at him, which Luigi swiftly dodged. He attacked again, unfazed. Luigi was about to move away when a memory stopped him. _He was at Dimentio's side, hands tangled together, spread across a bed._ His eyes widened. He nearly slipped, but recovered his balance at the last second. _BOOM!_ Luigi cried out, pain bursting in his chest. He fell to the ground with a _THUD!_

The magician created boxes that seemed familiar. He snapped his fingers, but Luigi ran just in time to avoid the flames. He took a deep breath.

Just then, Dimentio appeared in front of him. "Are you afraid, Luigi?"

Luigi shook his head. "No. Not of you."

"That's not what I meant. Are you afraid-?" Dimentio started. Then a copy appeared beside him. It finished, "Of what you don't understand?" Just then, both made magic and threw it at him. Luigi flinched, right as fake magic passed through him. His eyes widened in realization. He slipped past the real magic and pounced on Dimentio. "Ah!" He cried out before disappearing.

 _"This isn't so bad,"_ Luigi thought to himself. _"I just have to keep up and wait until he gets bored of this."_

Dimentio appeared with his copy again, both shooting more bursts of magic. Luigi avoided them, throwing a ball of flame in his direction. The magician dodged easily, his grin never fading. The man in green frowned. "What are _you_ afraid of, Dimentio? You aren't really planning to betray the Count, are you?"

He laughed. "Well, I'm not afraid of Count Bleck, that's for sure."

Luigi created another flame, uncertain if he should use electricity. "Well, if you weren't, you would stay loyal to him. There wouldn't be a need to stomp him out. You have to at least respect him as an equal."

Dimentio frowned. "You don't know anything, do you?" Just then, he shot several bursts of fire at once, all of which lead right to Luigi. He gasped and stepped back, narrowly missing the flame. The surprise took him back to a moment that was both familiar and foreign.

 _He felt a sense of fear and confusion. He was trapped. Betrayed by the one he loved. The other figure snapped his fingers and..._

The man in green stumbled back, fear and confusion coming over him in intense waves. He didn't notice Dimentio approach him until it was too late. He shot a powerful burst of magic, which met its target. Luigi cried out in pain. He reached in his pocket for something simple to heal him, like a Shroom Shake, but he found he was out of resources.

Dimentio grinned. "You might as well give up now, Luigi."

He frowned, clenching his fists. "N-No! No way! You almost hurt me and my brother!"

"True, but I would let you both go as soon as I defeat the Count."

"Yeah, right!"

"I'm serious." The jester stepped closer and put a hand on his chest. Luigi grew tense, but Dimentio smiled to show he meant no harm. "I told you that you were to be a part of the New World I'm creating."

Luigi furrowed his brows. "Huh?" As if on cue, he remembered something else.

 _He was laying on the grass, staring at the stars, as he listened to his companion ramble. "...Soon, I'll have it all. My own castle. My own New World to rest in and call my own. A place to belong. And no one has to feel afraid."_

 _He turned over to him and asked a simple question. "_ _Am I to be a part of the New World?" _

_To his surprise, Luigi realized he was speaking with Dimentio. He was in a strange, new form, but it was him alright. The jester looked shocked, but he nodded and said, "Of c_ _ourse you will be. You'll be my right hand man. We'll live together."_

Luigi gasped. He was...Telling the truth? But how?

"Of course, I hadn't thought of a place for that annoying brother of yours," Dimentio went on. "Maybe he'll be our servant?

The man in green narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Maybe you've forgotten..." Dimentio got even closer. Luigi stepped back, right against a wall. He mentally cursed his luck. Dimentio looked into his eyes. "But I could never forget the love of my life."

Luigi began shaking in spite of himself. He stuttered, "Y-You're not making any sense!"

"Oh? Maybe this will jog your memory." Without any other warning, Dimentio pushed Luigi against the wall and kissed him on the mouth. He blushed deeply, feeling his cheeks burn. Slowly, his eyes closed. His lips were soft and warm, like the first time they kissed. And when they danced together. And...And...

The realization hit him. Luigi opened his eyes and shoved Dimentio off of him, suddenly feeling dirty. "Y-You were the one making all these visions appear in my head. Weren't you?"

Dimentio grinned, his smile sickly sweet. "Now, why would I do that? As far as you know, this is the first time we've met."

Luigi bit his lip. "I-I don't know! But...I do know that you're crazy!"

The jester smirked. "You're just now catching on?"

Luigi grew silent. He stared at the ground. Trying to sound intimidating, he said, "I-I won't let you trick me!" Luigi cursed himself. He sounded more like a child on their first day of kindergarten than an actual threat.

"Then, come at me," Dimentio smiled, his confidence unwavering. "Give me your best shot."

Luigi clenched his fists. He ran towards him, slamming the jester into the wall. However, when he looked at him again, he was shocked to see a familiar face.

Mario looked at him with shock and fear. "Ah! Bro...What are you doing?"

His eyes bulged. "W-What?"

The man in red took shallow breaths. "L-Let me go! You don't know what you're doing!"

Luigi trembled. Quietly, he said, "It's just a trick. My real brother is right outside, waiting for me to finish you off..." He created a ball of green electricity, something he knew would finish Dimentio off quickly.

Mario's eyes grew wide. " _F_ _ratello,_ please! I love you with all my heart! Don't do this!"

Luigi bit his lip, tears trailing down his face. He knew it was a lie. That his brother was outside with Tippi. That it was just Dimentio, fooling him. That this was the right thing to do. And yet...

He ceased the flow of electricity from his hands. Luigi let him go and turned away, pain in his heart. Dimentio changed back, giving an icy smile. "Your power is formidable, but you can't do a thing if that brother of yours is involved."

The man in green looked at Dimentio. However, his eyes grew wide as he noticed a box all around him. He grew tense, somehow knowing exactly what this meant. The sense of betrayal returned, more faint but there all the same. Fear and dread consumed him. "No..."

Dimentio prepared to snap his fingers. "Time to come out...Mr. L..."

"Please, no! Not again!"

 _SNAP!_ It was too late. Luigi saw bursts of flame all around him, each more hot and painful than the last. It kept going and going until everything went dark.

Once the smoke cleared, Luigi was on the ground. This time, he was merely knocked unconscious, but it certainly helped scare him enough. The magician took a deep breath. It was all an illusion, of course. His disguise as Mario and the hot, merciless flames. He knew this was a unfair way to get what he wanted, but then again, he had done more underhanded things in the past.

Dimentio went to Luigi and decided to allow his facade to slip for a moment. He used his magic to lock the door so Mario wouldn't ruin anything. Turning back to Luigi, he bent down and placed the other man's head in his lap. He pondered the possibilities of Luigi's identity and, more importantly, their love.

If Nastasia brought out Mr. L using hypnotism, then he had to be at least somewhat real. Was he merely suppressed in Luigi's mind? Or was he an illusion altogether? If so, did that mean that it was Luigi who won his heart instead? Dimentio thought for a moment, then decided it didn't matter. He knew that he needed Mr. L with him. If his love was just a product of hypnotism, then he would take Luigi. Everything else was secondary at this point, merely a means to an end. If he had to destroy all worlds to have him, so be it.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a floro seed. He took off Luigi's cap and brushed his dark brown hair aside. The jester knew this was the plan all along, yet he hesitated. This would hurt Mr. L, maybe even shatter his trust in him once and for all, but he had to do it.

Dimentio placed the seed in his scalp, which took a moment to sink in. Luigi moaned in pain, his limbs twitching. He looked as if he might wake up, but quickly went back to sleeping peacefully. Sighing, Dimentio placed his cap back on. He kissed him on the forehead and whispered, "Soon, my love, we will be together again and no one will get in the way. Unfortunately, this will hurt a lot. I apologize in advance."

* * *

 _The thing about Luigi not growing body hair anywhere else is a little headcanon of my girlfriend's that I randomly remembered. So I hoped you enjoyed that here lol._

 _Next time: After Peach and Bowser find Luigi, they rush to make it to Count Bleck in time. The final battle draws near._

 _-Colorful and Free_


End file.
